Independent and Minority Bloc congressmen are up in arms over the pointing of a target-acquiring laser gun by a Chinese warship on a Philippine Navy ship at the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Magdalo Party-List Rep. Magdalo Party-List Rep. Manuel Cabochan III, an ex-Navy lieutenant, described the move of the foreign warship as “bullying.”
“If the Chinese indeed pointed its laser gun on the Philippine Navy, we should not just shrug it off…we should at least file a diplomatic protest,” said the neophyte solon, who considers himself an independent member of the 302-strong House of Representatives.
“We should not allow them to bully their way to our country,” Cabochan added.
A Manila Bulletin article Tuesday confirmed that the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), has already filed a diplomatic protest over the incident.
In the same article, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana was reported to have downplayed the China warship shenanigan, saying its “unlikely that they [China] will use their missile on our ship or airplane.”
Lorenzana merely likened the laser gun-pointing to usual acts of intimidation by Chinese military personnel on every ship and plane passing the WPS.
His statements didn’t still well with Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., the House Minority Leader.
“Whether it be walang intension ang China, the fact na ginawa nila is a very clear provocation,” he said.
“Are we going to allow China to always provoke us like this incident?” asked Abante, who nonetheless told the Philippine Navy to stand their ground since after all, the incident took place within Philippine territory.
For her part, Minority Bloc stalwart, Gabriela Party-List Rep. Arlene Brosas interpreted the DND chief’s remarks as somewhat preempting the investigation on the laser gun-pointing since he’s already made up his mind about it.
“Pinangununahan ni Defense Secretary Lorenzana ang imbestigasyon sa pagtutok ng radar gun ng Chinese ship sa ating Navy sa agarang pagdepensa nito sa intensiyon umano ng Tsina. Para itong manghuhula na pabor sa Beijing gayong mayroon na ngang diplomatic protest na naisampa dahil sa posibleng paglabag na nagawa,” Brosas said.
“Masusing imbestigasyon ang kailangan at hindi pagsawalang-bahala at panghuhula,” she further said.
Regional power China has a blanket claim over the entire South China Sea, which encompasses the WPS. (Ellson A. Quismorio)
