Sen. Erwin Tulfo expressed willingness to meet with the Chinese Embassy, along with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), to tackle the issue on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) should its officials want, as he also said it would be better for pronouncements and personal attacks to be ‘toned down’ in the meantime stressing how they adversely affect the creation of the much-needed Code of Conduct (COC) in the WPS.
The lawmaker made the pronouncement as the newly-installed Chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations and after meeting with DFA Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro along with his chief of staff Jerico Javier, where he learned that there are pending talks between the DFA and the Embassy of China regarding COC but that it was stalled due to the exchange of heated remarks.
“They are working right now doon sa code of conduct. Dati kasi parang ayaw ng China tanggapin yung Code of Conduct (COC) na ‘yan, pero ngayon, they are willing. Diyan po sa COC na ‘yan, may mga other nations na involved na claimant kasi sa South China Sea, West Philippine Sea. Nandiyan po yung Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam at tayo. So kasama po tayo doon sa Code of Conduct, kung ano po ang gagawin, anong dapat magiging pag-uugali ng mga claimant dyan sa lugar na yan,” he explained.
Regarding the possibility of him sitting down with the Chinese envoy, Tulfo said: “Yeah, why not? Kung they will ask for it, sure. We will sit down and see. Eh isa lang naman ang hinihingi natin di ba? Na hayaan ang mga fishermen, hayaan po ang Coast Guard natin. Kasi siguro naman bilang magkapitbahay, we can co-exist peacefully.”
According to Tulfo, he will try to visit the National Security Council (NSC) since it has jurisdiction over the Coast Guard and the Department of Defense “upang ‘wag nang dagdagan ang mga dati nang naihayag na personal, sa layong matulungan ang DFA, dahil medyo, yung mga statements nila, minsan personal na hindi na talaga yung issue-based yung mga statements…kasi parang dito medyo naiirita po yung China. I’m not saying na we scale down. What I’m saying is siguro wag na nating dagdagan pa.. leave it, what happened, iwan na lang natin na gano’n muna, pero wag na nating dagdagan pa siguro kasi parang nai-ignite.”
Tulfo said he understand the position of the DFA and how hard it is to have a dialogue ot negotiate and then another misunderstanding occurs.
The lawmaker noted that somehow, China has also softened its stance because “may mga RORE mission na po tayo na hindi na po sinasaktan, hindi na po hinahabol-habol ng China Coast Guard, yung mga Coast Guard natin, ang ating mga resupply missions. No more. Naka-ilang mission na po tayo? Three, four RORE mission na po na dahil sa pakiusap po ng Foreign Affairs natin, pumayag din po ang China na resupply, humanitarian purpose, pagkain ng mga sundalo. So hindi na po hinahabol-habol, biglang tumahimik po.”
“That’s one thing na bahagi daw po yung ongoing negotiations, dialogue ng Philippine government with China. Tapos, ayun na nga po yung Code of Conduct, lalo na po pag naaprubahan ito, hopefully according to DFA, by December this year plantasado na po itong COC. So, maiiwasan na po itong mga sakitan, mga harassment dyan po sa South China Sea slash West Philippine Sea,” he added.
Tulfo said he will also try to talk to his colleagues in the Senate on the request of the DFA, to possibly ‘tone down’ during the pendency of the dialogue about the COC which is targetted to be done by December, although he also told the DFA to explain to the Chinese Embassy the Philippines’ context of freedom of speech and expression as enshrined in the Constitution.
“Siguro ‘yung atake personal na ang pangit ng mukhang ganito. So parang doon nasaktan sila eh, na parang ‘binastos yung pangulo namin’. So siguro baka, pero sinabi ko naman sa kanya, but it is part of our freedom of expression. It’s contained in our Constitution dapat parating niyo din sa secretary, sa kanila, sa Chinese Embassy,” he said.
He expressed hope that a possible ‘ceasefire’ on heavy pronouncements will also ease the tension between the Philippine forces and fishermen on one hand and the Chinese Navy and Chinese Coast Guard on the other.
“Dati po ayaw po ng China ‘yan (COC). No, we don’t like any conduct or whatever, arbitral ruling. Pero ngayon po, they softened and according to the Secretary ng DFA, they’re more amenable now to the Code of Conduct. So binibilisan po ng four nations, Malaysia, Brunei, Vietnam, Philippines, na matapos po ang COC. Mukhang nakita naman daw ng China government yung COC. Mukhang okay sila doon. So medyo slowly, mukhang tanggap nila para ma-ease din ‘yung tension,” Tulfo stated.
If the exchange of heated and hurtful pronouncements continue, Tulfo said that the creation and resolution of the COC will be further delayed, citing how it already had been stalled due to the said exchanges.
“Dapat tignan ng mga leaders or commanders ‘yung mga statements bago mag-isyu ng mga ganito dahil nakakaapekto umano sa mga nagaganap na dialogue, kung saan imbes na mapaganda ay hindi natutuloy gaya nga ng COC,” he stressed.
He added: “I’m not saying po na we hold back on our statements pagdating sa claim po natin sa West Philippine Sea. Tapos kung meron naman po talaga nangyayaring sakitan, kailangan po natin sabihing sa taumbayan na may gano’ng ongoing na pangyayari. Kaya nga minamadali ‘yung COC para maiwasan na po ‘yung sakitan, maiwasan na po yung tinataboy yung mga mangingisda natin. Kasi I believe isa sa mga nakapaloob doon sa COC ang pag-uugali ng bawat claimant doon sa WPS. ’ Yung foreign policy naman natin ay friends to all, enemies to none. So why don’t we sit down?”
