Cayetano asks congressmen to trust gov’t strategy in dealing with China

May 30, 2018

Foreign Secretary Alan Cayetano asked lawmakers on Wednesday to trust the administration’s diplomatic strategy with China, reminding them Filipinos can fish in the West Philippine Sea.

At a congressional briefing by the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), chaired by Rep. Feliciano Belmonte Jr. of Quezon City, Cayetano told lawmakers the government remains on top of the situation.

“We came from a time in the previous administration when we could not even fish. We had to play ‘patintero’ whenever we send supplies to the Ayungin Shoal (or the Second Thomas Shoal) but now we can do it (and) because we did it quietly, the situation improved,” he said.

Cayetano was reacting to Magdalo Partylist Rep. Gary Alejano, a member of the seven-man opposition bloc at the House. Alejano has called for Cayetano's resignation, pointing out that the Philippines lost control over Sandy Cay, a part of the Pag-asa Island network of sand bars and reefs.

While the administration’s approach is not perfect, “we’re not doing it like the Aquino or Carpio way which was through the media, confrontational. We are doing it through diplomacy,” he said.

Cayetano was referring to former president Benigno Aquino III and Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

“Yes, we have differences with them (China), but we have made gains. We are not willing to do the Aquino approach,” said Cayetano told Alejano.

“We are not asking you to trust us blindly. We have been filing diplomatic protests but our critics want us to shout loudly,” he added.

Cayetano refused to accept criticisms that the administration has been subservient to Beijing.

“When the President (Duterte) tells President Xi ‘that is mine,’ that's a (form of) protest. There are different forms of protest. It's the content that's material,” he said.

Cayetano said the DFA has “to erase doubts from the members of Congress that we are not doing anything.”

“We have a problem too with Malaysia and Vietnam but we don’t consider that aggressive because we have always been talking to them. What the president says is let’s not get involved in the battle of giants and let’s focus on our own interests,” said Cayetano.

“By all means we should talk to them but they would continue to pursue their national interest. If we’ll let them establish a norm, how can we stop them later on?” he said, adding that the administration has always been blaming the previous one.

It was reported earlier this month that China installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross), Zamora (Subi), and Panganiban (Mischief) reefs.

It was the first time that China installed missiles in the Spratly Islands, where the Philippines and several neighboring countries like Vietnam and Taiwan have rival claims.

Cayetano said the missile installation is meant to be a defensive system “and it is not against the Philippines.”

“China also assured us with our good relationship that we are not their enemy,” he told lawmakers.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. insisted that the government has not abandoned the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration on the South China Sea disputes which invalidated the China's nine-dash line claim over the whole WPS.

He said the government has temporarily set aside the ruling and will raise it at the proper time since it will “serve as basis for the country's exercise of sovereignty and jurisdiction over features that are in the Philippine territorial waters.” DMS