Lacson: Joint Venture with China in WPS Should Follow PH Constitution

Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is open to the Philippines entering a joint venture agreement with China to develop the West Philippine Sea – but so long as China follows the 60-40 provision in the Philippine Constitution.

Lacson, speaking at a presidential forum Saturday evening, said this would show that the Philippines owns and has sovereign rights over the area.

“As long as they adhere to the Constitutional provision of 60-40, I am all for it. If it’s 60-40 it shows we ‘own,’ we have sovereign rights over the area,” he said at the forum organized by the Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Cignal TV and The Manila Times.

Related: Ping: Joint Venture sa WPS Kasama ang China, Dapat Sundin ang Ating Konstitusyon
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On the ‘Restoration’ of the RP-US VFA

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I fully support the President’s decision in changing his earlier stand to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement. Whatever underlying conditions there are in arriving at that decision, if it was connected to additional vaccine donations or any other reasons, I’m sure President Rodrigo Duterte was influenced by the interest of the country and our people.

That being said, the termination of the VFA would have done our country’s security situation more harm than good, especially at this time when incursions into our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea have become more aggressive and unabated.

This is not to mention the continuing threats of terrorism in our country.

We have to accept the reality that we cannot do it alone, and our bilateral agreements with countries having more upgraded militarily capabilities like the United States and even Australia should be put into good use. The VFA is one way to do this.

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Ping: Pilipinas, Dapat Mas Magpursigi Para Ganap na Maipanalo ang WPS

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Limang taon matapos na maipanalo ang karapatan sa West Philippine Sea (WPS) sa Permanent Court of Arbitration sa The Hague, kailangan ng Pilipinas na lalo pang diinan ang pakikipaglaban nito para maging ganap ang tagumpay sa pag-angkin sa naturang lugar.

Ipinahayag ito ni Senador Panfilo Lacson, chairman ng Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, kasabay ng pagsasabing malaki pa ang kailangang gawin ng Pilipinas dahil patuloy pa rin ang presensiya ng Tsina sa lugar.

“Whatever we have done, or have failed to do, and what we must continue to pursue as part of our prerogatives as a law-abiding, democratic, and sovereign nation under this administration – unfortunately – has accrued little to our ‘accumulated advantage’ in the South China Sea and in the context of Philippine-China relations. On the contrary, we may have done very little in stemming the tide of an increasing Chinese footprint into the ASEAN region’s foreign policy, economy, and security,” paliwanag ng mambabatas.

“Thus, let us see this day for what it truly is: Commemorating a hard-won battle, but a victory still incomplete. We must, therefore, press on to complete the victory,” dagdag ni Lacson.

Read in ENGLISH: Lacson: PH Must Push On to Complete the Victory in WPS
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Lacson: PH Must Push On to Complete the Victory in WPS

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Five years after its triumph over China in the West Philippine Sea before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Philippines must continue pushing to complete the victory, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Monday.

Lacson, who chairs the Senate Committee on National Defense and Security, Peace, Unification and Reconciliation, said much remains to be done amid China’s increasing presence in the Southeast Asian region.

“Whatever we have done, or have failed to do, and what we must continue to pursue as part of our prerogatives as a law-abiding, democratic, and sovereign nation under this administration – unfortunately – has accrued little to our ‘accumulated advantage’ in the South China Sea and in the context of Philippine-China relations. On the contrary, we may have done very little in stemming the tide of an increasing Chinese footprint into the ASEAN region’s foreign policy, economy, and security,” Lacson said.

“Thus, let us see this day for what it truly is: Commemorating a hard-won battle, but a victory still incomplete. We must, therefore, press on to complete the victory,” he added.

Basahin sa TAGALOG: Ping: Pilipinas, Dapat Mas Magpursigi Para Ganap na Maipanalo ang WPS
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Mga Inaasahan sa Huling SONA ni Pangulong Duterte, Isiniwalat ni Ping

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Ano ang kalagayan ng programa ng gobyerno sa pagbabakuna laban sa COVID-19, at ang pakikipaglaban sa katiwalian? Mas bumuti ba ang buhay natin ngayon mula nang mag-umpisa ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte noong 2016? Ano pa ang puwede niyang gawin sa nalalabing panahon ng kanyang termino?

Ilan ito sa mga katanungan ni Senador Panfilo Lacson na inaasahan niyang masasagot ng Pangulo sa panghuling State of the Nation Address (SONA) nito sa Hulyo 26.

“After five years, where are we now, or what is the situation in the many aspects of his administration such as peace and order, fight against illegal drugs, corruption, economy, and foreign policy, particularly the West Philippine Sea? We want to hear what happened in the last five years – and moving forward for the last year of his administration, what can still be done?” banggit ni Lacson sa isang media forum nitong Linggo.

Sa kanyang mga katanungan ay binigyang diin ng mambabatas ang programa sa pagbabakuna.

“But it is critical to update us on the government’s response to the pandemic. This includes the status of the government’s vaccination program. This is important because many Filipinos still do not trust the vaccine. In the meantime, the government must continue its campaign to gain the people’s trust in vaccines, based on science,” ayon pa sa mambabatas.

Read in ENGLISH: Lacson Bares Expectations from President Duterte’s Final SONA
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