MANILA, Philippines – Pumalag si Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III sa naging pahayag ng China kaugnay sa ipinasang Senate resolution na bumabatikos sa naunang pahayag naman ng Chinese embassy laban sa mga opisyal ng Pilipinas sa isyu ng West Philippine Sea.
“He is claiming that we are intimidating Chinese diplomats, yet he continues to speak disrespectfully against us and calls the Senate resolution a mere political stunt,” ani Sotto.
“I can say the same thing to him—that he knows little about how diplomacy works. Respect begets respect,” dagdag pa niya.
Sa hiwalay na pahayag, sinabi ni Senador Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, may-akda ng resolusyon, na ang tugon ng China ay lumabag sa Vienna Convention at nagpalakas lamang ng pagtingin sa China bilang isang bully.
“We rest our case and reiterate our call for the DFA to take the necessary diplomatic measures to uphold the dignity of the Republic of the Philippines and to ensure that relations with other states are conducted in accordance with international law and established principles of state relations,” ani Pangilinan.
Sinabi ni Pangilinan kasama ang iba pang senador, na ang Chinese Embassy ay kumampas na sa linya ng “legitimate expression of a foreign state’s views into interference in our domestic democratic debate.” RNT/JGC
