[ad_1]
MANILA, Philippines – Two lawmakers backed Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr.’s proposal to terminate the contracts of Chinese companies involved in land reclamation in the Western Philippine Sea, waters within the 370 exclusive economic zone. kilometers from the country in the disputed South China Sea.
Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Sunday that the Duterte administration would only be inciting Chinese intrusions into the country’s maritime territory by honoring the service contracts awarded to Chinese state-owned companies engaged in the construction of artificial islands in the Sea of Western Philippines.
“These predatory Chinese companies must be stopped. Let us not renounce our sovereignty over the infrastructure that can be led by many other companies that are not actively participating in the invasion of our territories, ”Hontiveros said in a statement.
“While we celebrate the National Heroes Day [on Monday]We must not forget the sacrifices of our heroes who fought wholeheartedly for the freedom and independence of our country, ”he said.
It said subsidiaries of China Communications Construction Co. Ltd. (CCCC) were currently involved in at least five infrastructure projects, including one in President Duterte’s hometown of Davao City.
CCCC was among the Chinese companies blacklisted by the United States for its involvement in building islands in the disputed waters. The company is also part of the consortium that pocketed the Sangley Point International Airport project in Cavite.
Senator Risa Hontiveros, FILE PHOTO / Senate PRIB
According to the opposition senator, the government had signed a memorandum of understanding with the CCCC subsidiaries for the construction of the Davao Port and Coastal Development Project, the Manila Port Center Recovery Project, the Cebu International and Bulk Terminal and the Manila-Clark Railway.
Hontiveros said China Harbor Engineering Co., on the other hand, was awarded a contract to build an access road to New Clark City in Pampanga.
“These projects should be revoked. If we continue with these agreements, it may be equivalent to giving up our territories, ”he said.
Samar’s representative, Edgar Mary Sarmiento, chairman of the House of Representatives transportation committee, agreed and said that Locsin’s position “would put absolute clarity on the government’s foreign policy towards China that while we accept them as allies We also have our patriotic duty to assert our sovereign rights. “
“This would show that the Philippines is one with the world in opposing these Chinese claims in the Western Philippine Sea,” he said in a statement. “Allowing these Chinese companies to operate here is too great an insult to all Filipinos.”
Sarmiento said government agencies should conduct an audit of all their construction projects and make sure their contractors have no connections to Chinese companies. He also asked the Immigration Office to identify the personalities who work for these companies and immediately deport them.
Read next
EDITOR’S SELECTION
MOST READ
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer and more than 70 other titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download from 4am and share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
For comments, complaints or inquiries, please contact us.
[ad_2]
