LEGAZPI CITY — Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros highlighted the importance of joint patrols by Philippine defense forces alongside allies like the United States, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), framing these collaborations as a direct response to China’s aggressive posturing in the region.
According to Philippines News Agency, Hontiveros described the coordinated patrols as a robust display of international solidarity and a commitment to maintaining a rules-based order in the South China Sea. “It shows that we who believe in the rule of law will not tolerate any form of violence, threat, or intimidation,” she stated, emphasizing the strategic importance of these exercises in asserting regional stability and security.
Hontiveros pointed out that such international cooperation is crucial in positioning China within the established norms of international law, specifically the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the BBNJ Agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction. She urged China to adhere to its international commitments and to halt its aggressive tactics in the WPS.
“It has always been clear that it is China who is provoking tensions in the West Philippine Sea—not us—so it is China who must stop her aggression,” Hontiveros added, calling for an end to unilateral actions that destabilize the region.