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SENATORS backed Foreign Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin Jr.’s call for the Philippine government to avoid contracts with Chinese companies involved in dredging and reclamation activities in the Western Philippine Sea.
Senator Panfilo Lacson and Senator Risa Hontiveros in separate statements on Sunday backed the plan of the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs to recommend to Malacañang the immediate termination of the Philippine government’s dredging contracts with the Chinese company.
“Congratulations to DFA Secretary Teddy Boy Locsin for putting the spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry in his place,” Lacson said, citing previous incidents of “China arrogance” that the senator said deserved an adequate response. .
Lacson said, “Forbidding us to send our military aircraft into the airspace near Panatag Shoal certainly deserves a strong reprimand. I am proud that our top foreign policy implementer did it. “
The senator added: “In fact, it takes a while to get through a statement from our DFA secretary. China’s display of arrogance in accusing us of infringing its sovereignty and security by sending military planes into the airspace adjacent to Panatag Shoal / Bajo de Masinloc, urging the Philippines to immediately stop the illegal provocations, is the most important. “
Hontiveros, at the same time, suggested that the Philippine government abandon projects with companies involved in Chinese military installations in the Western Philippine Sea.
Hontiveros suggested that the Philippine government “immediately abandon project agreements with Chinese companies” involved in the construction of artificial islands and Chinese military facilities in the Western Philippine Sea, amid reports that China launches missiles into the disputed waters.
“It is worrying that the government has engaged with Chinese companies involved in the destruction of our territories,” added the senator. “We are the ones who are stealing our territory, so the government will also be an accomplice in this robbery [It’s bad enough they’ve taken parts of our territory; and then the goverment becomes complicit in this]? “
In asking Malacañang to withdraw from these infrastructure deals, Hontiveros listed the companies that contributed to the dredging and construction of military islands in the Western Philippine Sea, as published by the US Department of Commerce, including China. Communications Construction Co., Ltd. (CCCC), a company whose subsidiaries have signed several projects with the Philippine government.
In addition, Hontiveros added that “based on the information we have, the government currently has five memorandums of understanding [MOU] with this Chinese company. “
The senator noted that the CCCC subsidiaries have Memoranda of Understanding for the Davao Port and Coast Development Project, the Manila Port Center Recovery Project, the Cebu International and Bulk Terminal Project and the railway. Manila-Clark. He added that another Chinese company, China Harbor Engineering Co. (CHEC), also won a tender to build an access road to the city of New Clark.
