Drilon blames PH’s appeasement policy’ for China’s bold moves in WPS

The government’s appeasement and accommodation policy on China only emboldened China to continue its activities in the West Philippine Sea despite diplomatic protests by the Philippines, according to Senate Minority Leader Frank Drilon.

“Ang problema natin, hindi na tayo pinapansin dahil pinabayaan natin iyan noon. Iyan ay resulta ng appeasement and accommodation policy natin sa China. Kaya patuloy na hindi tayo papansinin dahilan sa policy na iyan,” he said in a radio interview.

“What we see now are the fruits of the policy of appeasement and accommodation towards China,” stressed Drilon, citing, as examples, the continued incursion of around 160 Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” Drilon said.

He also cited the growing Covid-19 cases in the country, which, he said, could have been prevented had the country immediately banned travelers from Wuhan, China, where the virus began in January 2020, similar to what Vietnam and Taiwan immediately did.

Drilon stressed the need for the country to get the support of the ASEAN, particularly countries with claims on the South China Sea to strengthen our stance on the West Philippine Sea issue, saying “bilateral talks with China on the maritime dispute does not work in the country’s favor.”

“Apart from the protests, which I support, we should, as an objective, get the other nations to confront China, including our allies – United States, Japan and Australia. We must unite against the unlawful Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Drilon said it is the President who should initiate the move to present a united front with other claimants in the WPS, including Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, “in order to make China realize that what it is doing is wrong and against international laws.”

Source: Latest Politics News Today (Politics.com.ph)