Ejercito: West Philippine Sea belongs to us

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Thursday slammed China for projecting itself as a "victim" in the recent incidents in the West Philippine Se.

"It is outright wrong for China to claim to be 'properly managing maritime differences through dialogue and consultation.' When it is, in fact, harassing our operations within our exclusive economic zone," Ejercito said in a statement.

"Who is using water cannons to obstruct and prevent our Filipino vessels during our resupply mission? Who has been bullying and violating international maritime laws over the past months in our sovereign waters? It is none other than China," he added.

On Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged the Philippines to "return to the right path as soon as possible, with properly handling and managing the current maritime situation as a top priority."

However, Ejercito said it should be China that should stop its expansionistic policies in the South China Sea.

"I urge China to halt President Xi Jinping's expansionist policies to prevent potential conflicts," he said.

He also urged China to honor the 2016 2016 Award in the South China Sea Arbitration which rejected Beijing's historical claims in the West Philippine Sea.

"We hope that China honors the verdict of the Hague-based tribunal, constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which ruled that China's claim of historical rights within its nine-dash line lacks any legal foundation," he said.

"The bottom line is to respect Philippine sovereignty and leave our territorial waters alone!" he added.

The lawmaker noted that the two nations can only achieve peace and a sound relationship "if both countries acknowledge each other's maritime rights."

"In this case, it is essential to recognize that the West Philippines Sea belongs to us— the Philippines," he stressed.

China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is within the 200-nautical mile EEZ of the Philippines.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration favored Manila's sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.

Despite this, the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea remains on paper as China has continued to reject the ruling and assert its claim in the area.