Pinky Webb speaks with Senator Risa Hontiveros.
The Philippines vows not to remove its marooned Navy ship in Ayungin Shoal despite China's claims of a long-standing promise to the contrary.
The Senate president urges the Marcos administration to secure new trade deals to pivot away from China.
And later, lawmakers voice concern over a Chinese state firm's ties to the Manila bay reclamation project.
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The Philippines vows not to remove its marooned Navy ship in Ayungin Shoal despite China's claims of a long-standing promise to the contrary.
The Senate president urges the Marcos administration to secure new trade deals to pivot away from China.
And later, lawmakers voice concern over a Chinese state firm's ties to the Manila bay reclamation project.
Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/
Follow our social media pages:
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Welcome to The Source, where we combine the headlines with in-depth conversations with
00:07 the newsmakers themselves.
00:08 I'm Pinky Webb.
00:09 Today on the program, the Philippines vows not to remove its Marooned Navy ship in a
00:14 Yuen Shul despite China's claims of a long-standing promise to the contrary.
00:19 The Senate President urges the Marcos administration to secure new trade deals to pivot away from
00:25 China and later lawmakers voice concern over a Chinese state firm's ties to the Manila
00:31 Bay Reclamation Project.
00:34 Senator Risa Ontiveros joins us in the program.
00:48 The BRP Sierra Madre stays in a Yuen Shul.
00:51 This is the clear message of the Marcos administration after China claimed that the Philippines has
00:56 promised to remove its Marooned ship from a Yuen Shul.
01:00 National Security Council official Jonathan Malaya said there's no legal document or any
01:04 proof of a binding agreement.
01:06 He even calls China's assertions a figment of imagination.
01:12 We have no and will never sign or agree to anything that would in effect abandon our
01:25 sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea.
01:31 In particular, a Yuen Shul.
01:34 And let's go straight to the source of the story.
01:35 We have Senator Risa Ontiveros.
01:37 Senator Risa, good to see you again.
01:40 Welcome to the source.
01:41 Thank you.
01:42 Thank you.
01:43 Okay, let's start with a Yuen Shul.
01:45 Ang sabi nga po ni Mr. Malaya, it's a figment of their imagination.
01:50 Sa Tagalog po parang, ano ba tawag doon?
01:54 Guni-guni.
01:55 Guni-guni?
01:56 Oo, yan ang sabi niya.
01:58 Was there, I guess my question, was there any statement that you can recall, commitment
02:05 in the past that even mentioned that the Philippines was going to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre?
02:13 Well, straight from the horse's mouth, Mr. Malaya said, not they in the National Task
02:21 Force for the West Philippine Sea, not the Department of Foreign Affairs have any written
02:28 or even memory of any such commitment from our end.
02:36 Ang ganda po ng turn of phrase ni Mr. Malaya, a figment of China's imagination.
02:43 So that supposed promise that we made to them to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from a Yuen
02:51 Shul, which is within our exclusive economic zone.
02:54 So that is now in the ranks of their so-called nine dash line, both and all figments of China's
03:01 imagination.
03:03 And why do you think China is asserting that there was a commitment previously by the Philippines
03:11 to remove the BRP Sierra Madre?
03:15 Apparently, it's hewing to the to the Goebbels school of propaganda that if you repeat a
03:24 lie, though it is a lie, often enough over and over again, it fixes itself in people's
03:31 imagination also and becomes the truth.
03:34 But the Philippines, we are the ones standing on solid ground here to borrow the title of
03:41 Marites Vitug's book about our victorious case against China at the Permanent Court
03:47 of Arbitration.
03:48 Malinaw dun sa ruling that a Yuen Shul, it is even specifically mentioned in that ruling,
03:56 ang a Yuen Shul ay squarely nasa loob ng exclusive economic zone ng Pilipinas.
04:04 So talagang figment of the imagination yung ipinagpupumilit ng China na pangako daw natin
04:10 to tow the BRP Sierra Madre away, why would we, why would any self-respecting country
04:16 make such a commitment to remove a commissioned ship, a Philippine Navy Marine Station there,
04:24 kung nasa loob ng ating territoryo at nasa loob pa ng ating EEZ?
04:30 We're clear about that.
04:31 China though, standing by its move of blocking and using water cannons on Philippine vessels
04:38 over the weekend last Saturday, Senator, in the latest statement that I saw from, I believe,
04:43 the foreign ministry, China's foreign ministry, they said that their actions were number one
04:48 professional, restrained, and beyond reproach.
04:52 Kasi pag sinabi po sa aking restrained, sa akin lang po na mga description, parang nagpigil
04:58 pa.
04:59 Is this kind of statement telling us that if we once again do a resupply mission, which
05:06 authorities are already saying we will do, a similar incident will happen or it could
05:12 even get worse?
05:13 Well, that is the not so veiled threat of China.
05:18 Atingnan lang natin yung pagdadahilan nila.
05:21 Does that stream, powerful stream of water against a Philippine vessel look like restraint
05:27 to you?
05:28 Kung yan ang restraint, hindi ko naalam kung ano pa ang todo bigay, baka tsunami na.
05:35 Was that professional?
05:37 Hardly.
05:38 The DFA statement cited no less than four international laws that China's illegal actions
05:45 violated at isa na rin yung tinatawag na colregs, yung collision regulations ng international
05:53 maritime organization dahil talagang sumingit sila, binlock nila yung isang Philippine vessel
06:00 na kung hindi umiwas, kung hindi nagpatay ng makina yung Philippine vessel, the Chinese
06:05 vessel would have rammed the bow of our Philippine vessel beyond reproach.
06:12 Nako, kasi si Sisi talaga, Pinky, utterly reproachable yung actions niya.
06:20 Almost ramming because they block our vessels, subjecting our vessels to that water canoning
06:27 and then seeking to deny the Philippine Navy and Marines personnel on BRPC Sierra Madre,
06:34 on Ayungin Shoal, the regular supplies and rotationing.
06:38 Kaya, hindi talaga katanggap-tanggap yung ginawa nila at lalong hindi katanggap-tanggap
06:45 yung kanilang paliwanag kuno o pagsisinungaling pa.
06:49 Okay, a note verbal was already sent and issued rather, and the Chinese ambassador also summoned.
06:57 This is not new to us.
06:59 This has happened in the past.
07:01 Senator, what should the government do next aside from these?
07:05 And it's not to downplay any note verbal that is issued by the DFA.
07:09 That number's over 30 just this year, and I think since 2020, about 400.
07:16 Note verbals, as the DFA had mentioned, is important to clear the narrative that one
07:21 country is trying to project.
07:25 But what should we do next?
07:27 Well, certainly notes verbal are very important because they make a record.
07:32 They put in black and white.
07:34 They make official our country's protests.
07:36 Pero ano pa ang pwede gawin ng ating gobyerno?
07:40 This is precisely why, kung hindi man prophetic, very, very timely yung unanimous resolution
07:47 na inadopt namin sa Senado, urging government through the DFA and in effect supporting them
07:55 to take any and all more assertive actions politically and diplomatically.
08:02 Kasama na isang posibilidad, resolusyon, ng Philippine government sa UN General Assembly
08:09 at marami pang iba.
08:11 We in fact shortlisted a few of the more assertive diplomatic and political actions they could
08:17 take in various forms, resolusyon man yan, in various international fora, sa UN man yan
08:25 o sa iba pa.
08:26 At sinundan ko pa yan, Pinky, ng isang paalala that last year, I filed a resolution calling
08:33 for an investigation on many reclamation projects, dozens of which mukhang isang Chinese state-owned
08:41 company ang nagsasagawa, starting with unacceptable actions within the Philippines' EEZ in the
08:50 West Philippine Sea.
08:52 So economically din pwedeng iparamdam ng Pilipinas yung displeasure natin at yung pagkondena
08:59 natin sa ganitong mga illegal actions.
09:02 It wouldn't even be the first time, Pinky, because previously, former Finance Secretary
09:08 Dominguez already suspended loan processes with this one particular Chinese state-owned
09:15 company, the CCCC.
09:17 Tinigil niya yung loan processes for certain important infrastructure projects to include
09:26 the Davao-Digos Rail Segment, the Calamba-Matnog Long-Haul Rail, and the Subic-Clark Rail.
09:34 Nakakagulat, sa ilalim ng kasalukuyang administrasyon, loan negotiations have resumed, pero nasa interes
09:41 natin ng Pilipinas, i-decline ang ano pa mang dagdag na CCCC funding.
09:48 But Senator, if this loan agreement was suspended or cancelled by the previous Finance Secretary,
09:56 Secretary Dominguez, and then now you're saying itinuloy po ito with CCCC.
10:03 Who allowed this?
10:04 Well, kaya kailangan ito din sa kasalukuyang administrasyon.
10:10 Baka isa ito sa mga economic actions that they can take as in previous years para iparamdam
10:17 sa China na ayaw na ayaw natin ng kanila, government, at state-owned enterprises actions
10:25 laban sa atin.
10:29 It appears this CCCC is holding two of the current six approved reclamation projects
10:40 in Manila Bay.
10:41 At sila din po itong CCCC, yung kasabwat ng Chinese maritime militia sa kanilang pagsira
10:49 ng mga coral reefs sa West Philippine Sea at pag-poach pa sa mga endangered clams.
10:55 So may disguise ang CCCC na lehitimong negosyo pero tinutulungan lang nila yung estado ng
11:04 China sa kanilang creeping invasion.
11:08 Kaya pinaalala ko ulit yung aking proposed Senate Resolution No. 300.
11:13 I filed that, Pinky, last year in 2022 and it directed an inquiry into a reported large-scale
11:21 land reclamation projects being undertaken on a nationwide basis here in the Philippines.
11:27 And siguro naka-spotlight ngayon ang CCCC dahil din sa recently ginawa ng Chinese Coast
11:34 Guard sa ating Philippine Coast Guard sa Ayungin Shoal.
11:37 You said that you filed this resolution last year.
11:40 Are there moves and actions now to actually look into this particular resolution?
11:49 Well it's still pending so my reminder to us in the Senate is also a friendly reminder
11:56 to the chair of the committee to which my resolution was referred na mas timely pang
12:02 ngayon na dinigin na sana itong resolution.
12:06 Not just to show our displeasure against these hostile actions of China against us in the
12:13 West Philippine Sea pero para ding isalba yung ating kalikasan.
12:20 In fact, Pinky, in a I think 2014 interview, one of our Filipino scientists, Dr. Giovanni
12:30 Tapang, sinabi po niya na yung reclamation ng 26,000 plus hectares just along the coast
12:38 of Manila Bay na kasama po ito sa National Reclamation Plan, it would translate to a
12:44 loss of the same area of seagrass.
12:48 Seagrass na spawning ground at habitat ng aquatic life.
12:52 And this would equal or result in an annual loss of 4 to 7 billion invertebrates and 3
13:01 to 78 trillion fish.
13:05 So grabe ang impact sa ating kalikasan.
13:08 There would also be immediate costs to us human beings.
13:13 Housing and commercial areas sa mga planned reclamation projects na ito would put people
13:19 in harm's way.
13:21 Pati food security maapektuhan dahil na itong Manila Bay lalo na isang importanteng fishing
13:28 ground.
13:29 Gaya ng pinag-uusapan natin kanina pa sa reclamation na ganito, masisira yung mga marine
13:35 habitats tulad ng mangroves, seagrass at coral ecosystem.
13:41 So for many and more and more reasons, magandang magbalik-aral ang administration sa ganitong
13:50 reclamation projects.
13:51 Ngayon nakikita natin, konektado pa sa ating national security at national interest dahil
13:57 sa mga kumpanya tulad ng CCCC na yan.
14:01 Suspect dito sa West Philippine Sea at EEZ natin, suspect pa sa Manila Bay.
14:07 That's something.
14:08 I guess the question really there, Senator, is why did this happen?
14:11 Why did we allow this to happen?
14:14 But we need to take a short break.
14:15 This is The Source on CNN Philippines.
14:17 Please stay tuned.
14:25 You're watching The Source on CNN Philippines.
14:27 I'm Pinky Webb.
14:28 Our source today is Senator Risa Ontivero.
14:30 Senator, I want to go back to what happened in Ayungin.
14:34 Timely, sabi niyo yung Senate resolution even before this incident last Saturday.
14:39 This is something you filed.
14:40 Nauna ho kayo dito and then in fact eventually it was amended in a way.
14:46 There were five options for the government to take.
14:48 Ang naging option ho kasi bring this resolution to the UN General Assembly in September.
14:53 But your original resolution was dalhin na.
14:56 Yung pinasang resolution was it remained to be an option for the executive department
15:03 to do this.
15:04 Now that this happened, now that nangyari po ito yung sa Ayungin, do you think that
15:09 dapat mas naging strong yung inyong resolution in terms of not being an option but actually
15:16 urging the DFA already to bring this to the UNGA?
15:21 Sabi Pinky, wala akong regrets dun sa in-adopt namin unanimously na Senate Resolution number
15:27 718, which was actually a combination of my original resolution 659 and SP Migzubiri's
15:34 resolution 707.
15:35 Kasi kahit naman sa original resolution ko, it was an expression of the sense of the Senate
15:42 urging DFA.
15:43 Urging, ibig sabihin pagkatapos namin ma-aprubahan iyon, it would be in their hands now whether
15:50 or not to take that course of action in that forum at kung anong timing.
15:56 Wala namang pagmamadali dun because a resolution by any country in the UN General Assembly
16:02 could take months or even years.
16:05 We expressed our sense.
16:07 Kaya masaya ako sa Senate Resolution 718 because it also expressed the sense of the Senate.
16:13 It included a resolution before the UNGA as one of the possible options.
16:19 At ngayon nakikita natin the strong diplomatic actions that DFA has taken again, especially
16:28 after this recent aggressive, hostile action at Ayungin Shoal.
16:33 Confident ako na they will take as many and as appropriate actions as possible to uphold
16:42 the national interest.
16:43 And you had a meeting with Secretary Manalo recently.
16:48 What can you share with us?
16:50 Ano ba yung kanyang sinabi?
16:53 Nagmeeting ba kayo pagkatapos nung sinamon na si Chinese Ambassador?
17:00 Well yes, the DFA summoning of the Chinese Ambassador happened before our meeting.
17:05 Pero naset na po namin yung kulong naming iyon even before naipasay yung unanimously,
17:11 na-adopt yung Senate Resolution.
17:14 So it was a very warm lunch meeting discussing of course recent events, pati itong hostile
17:24 action ng China sa Ayungin Shoal.
17:28 Halos hindi na namin kailangang pag-usapan yung Senate Resolution kasi may meeting of
17:32 minds naman kami kahit simula dun sa caucus before the Senate adopted it unanimously.
17:39 Nag-usapan din namin yung aking legislative agenda kasi gusto kong malaman, Pinky, how
17:44 I can continue to support DFA in upholding the Philippine national interest particularly
17:51 in the West Philippine Sea.
17:54 But Senator Risa, did he mention anything of the meeting with the Chinese Ambassador?
18:03 Is there anything that you can share with us?
18:07 Well, he did share that they summoned the Chinese Ambassador and the Philippine side
18:15 expressed our thoughts and opinions on that hostile action in very, very clear terms.
18:23 Pero siyempre as we've seen in the statement of the Chinese Ambassador which DFA has also
18:29 already responded to, pareho pa rin ang playbook ng Chinese Ambassador.
18:35 Pareho pa rin ang marching orders niya mula sa kanyang foreign ministry.
18:40 The foreign ministry itself has also spoken.
18:43 So ano pa rin nagmamatigas ng ulo pa rin at loob ang China na hindi nila talaga hinikilala
18:51 yung karapatan natin sa West Philippine Sea at sa ating exclusive economic zone which
18:57 made our or which makes our Senate Resolution even more and more timely.
19:04 And I think the executive will appreciate it even more now, these days, this week, in
19:10 the wake of the Ayungin hostile action.
19:12 Among the options in that Senate Resolution, there were four or five.
19:15 One of course, as you mentioned, is to take this before the UN General Assembly.
19:19 Again which you mentioned, isn't really that easy.
19:22 That should have been prepared months, maybe even years.
19:26 It must be calendared, etc.
19:28 Hindi po ganun kadali na mag-file lang ng resolution before the UNGA.
19:32 Among the suggestions that the Senate had put forward, what is the DFA inclined to do?
19:41 I cannot second-guess them, Pinky.
19:44 Kahit sa caucus, at least, sabi nila wala silang opposition dun sa resolution at pag-aaralan
19:53 nila yung iba't-ibang actions that they can take as they have been doing.
19:57 At inilista nga namin ang ilan sa aming combined resolution, yung naging Senate Resolution
20:05 Number 7.
20:06 Okay.
20:07 Senator, did I lose a senator?
20:11 No, I'm still there.
20:13 Okay, you're still there.
20:14 Medyo nawala po kayo ng saglit, Senator.
20:16 There's a suggestion from Congressman, I believe it was Congressman Rodriguez, if I'm not
20:23 mistaken, to downgrade our embassy in China.
20:28 In fact, it went on to say we should even send a lower-ranked diplomat.
20:33 Do you think this is a good idea?
20:36 Well, it's worth studying.
20:39 I'm sure the DFA has heard Rep Rufus loud and clear.
20:46 It's always in the arsenal of any foreign affairs department or ministry when a foreign
20:53 country has taken hostile action against us.
20:57 So I'm sure the DFA is also studying that suggestion of Rep Rufus.
21:03 But that's something you feel, as a senator, you need to look into because of the possible
21:09 many repercussions of doing such an action.
21:13 Well, any diplomatic action, of course, the possible repercussions must be studied.
21:19 And any hostile action against us, we must also study what is the right scale and tone
21:27 of our reaction.
21:28 Basta't lumabas din ito sa mga surveys, Pinky, at pinaalala ito ni ESPY during the interpolation
21:36 of my original resolution.
21:39 Top of mind ng mga Pilipino at pabor tayong mga Pilipino.
21:43 80 percent of us, according to the survey, that China get out of the West Philippine
21:49 Sea and our exclusive economic zone, and 90 percent favor government taking more assertive
21:55 actions to achieve that scenario.
22:00 We'll be taking another break.
22:01 This is The Source on CNN Philippines.
22:03 Please stay tuned.
22:04 You're back on The Source on CNN Philippines.
22:14 I'm Pinky Webb.
22:15 Our source today is Senator Risa Ontiveros.
22:18 Now let's talk about intel funds.
22:21 Senator Risa, I read an article that actually said, quoted Representative Castro, saying
22:29 that the Philippine Coast Guard has gotten 10 million pesos in intel funds since 2009.
22:40 Hindi na daw nagtumaas yan ng 10 million.
22:43 Number one, will you push for an increase in their intel funds?
22:47 Number two, by how much?
22:51 I think we should support the increase of intel funds sa lahat ng ating mga totoong
22:57 intelligence gathering agencies.
23:00 And the Coast Guard may well be one of the important agencies in this day and age, lalo
23:06 na dahil katapat natin ang China in the West Philippine Sea and our exclusive economic
23:11 zone, as we have just seen again so dramatically and in such an insulting manner in the last
23:17 few days.
23:18 Syempre, yung iba pa nating mga importante ang intelligence gathering agencies ay yung
23:24 mga intel units ng AFP, ng DMD, ng PNP, and of course, ng National Security Council.
23:32 So ito yung mga ahensya na resonabling tignan kung ano yung mga requests nila para sa intel
23:39 funds.
23:40 At hindi, yung mga confidential and intelligence funds ng mga ahensya o opisina o department,
23:46 which are not intel gathering.
23:49 They don't do the analysis.
23:50 They don't forward their intel analysis to government.
23:56 But they are intelligence using agencies.
23:59 For example, the offices of the president, the vice president, or certain departments
24:04 like education.
24:05 So if the Coast Guard has received such a paltry sum in the past more than one decade,
24:12 at ngayon, front and center din siya dito sa ating karagatan at EEZ, then dapat tignan
24:19 kung ano pa yung kanilang intel requests this year at kung resonabling supportahan namin
24:25 sa Kongreso.
24:26 So I know that the NEP was just submitted a week ago or maybe even 10 days ago and I
24:53 know that the NEP is still in the process of being submitted.
25:19 So I know that the NEP is still in the process of being submitted.
25:47 So I know that the NEP is still in the process of being submitted.
26:15 So I know that the NEP is still in the process of being submitted.
26:44 So I know that the NEP is still in the process of being submitted.
27:10 Thank you for joining us here on The Source.
27:15 [Music]
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