By Wilnard Bacelonia
MANILA – Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on Sunday said any prospective dialogue with the Chinese Embassy on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) will not involve surrendering Philippine territory or yielding to pressure.
Lacson clarified that possible talks, which he earlier suggested following Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s expression of willingness to engage Philippine leaders, would center on establishing clear lines of communication rather than tackling contentious issues such as ownership of disputed areas.
“Wala tayong sinusuko at ‘di tayo yumuyuko. Gusto lang natin maiwasan ang maaanghang na palitan ng salita through social media. Mas maganda ang direktang pag-uusap (We are not surrendering anything and we are not bowing to anyone. We simply want to prevent misunderstanding and fiery exchanges on social media, by talking to each other directly),” he said in a radio interview.
He said any engagement would not mean conceding territory just to ease tensions.
“Mas mainam ang maliwanag na maliwanag. Wala tayong sinusuko at hindi tayo yumuyuko (It is better to be clear. We are not surrendering anything and we are not bowing to anyone),” he added.
Lacson commended Sen. Erwin Tulfo, the new chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, for initiating a meeting with embassy officials.
He said Tulfo may brief fellow senators during their scheduled caucus following his 11 a.m. meeting.
At the same time, Lacson underscored the need for unity among lawmakers before engaging foreign counterparts, noting that public disputes among Filipinos over the WPS issue project a negative image.
“Di ba napakapangit noon? I cannot imagine maski anong parliament sa buong mundo na nangyayari ito, nagkakapikunan ang mambabatas at ang usapin sino ang nagmamay-ari ng isang teritoryo na ang alam nating lahat teritoryo talaga ng Pilipinas o kaya nasa loob ng ating exclusive economic zone (Isn’t it disgusting? I cannot imagine any parliament in the world where lawmakers fight over territory that we know belongs to the Philippines or is within our exclusive economic zone),” he said. (PNA)
