Sea dispute should not lead to war – Escudero

SENATE President Francis Escudero on Wednesday expressed his desire that cooler heads prevail over the escalating Philippine-China face-off in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Escudero made the remark following China Coast Guard's alleged «offensive» move, seizing and dumping food and other supplies intended for Filipino troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre, a remote outpost in Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

«I hope our country won't hit back. No one wants any war to [erupt] in our region, especially if the battleground is our country. Imminent war is another matter if it happens in our land. I hope this heat will subside, and the dialogue will continue,» Escudero said.

Senate President Francis “Chiz” Escudero (Joseph B. Vidal/Senate Social Media Unit)

Firmly believing in the power of dialogue, he emphasized that this peaceful approach is a viable solution and the key to resolving the territorial disputes in the WPS.

«Ultimately, the important thing is that we stand united in not giving up sovereignty over those islands and oceans. But I still firmly believe that the [conflict can be resolved] through dialogue and should not lead to a war between our country and China and other countries,» he said.

Escudero reminded Filipinos that the territorial dispute in the WPS was not exclusive to the Philippines and China.

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«Our adversary, or competitor, or rival in the West Philippine Sea includes Malaysia, Vietnam, Taiwan and other Southeast Asian countries, but it seems that our attention is mostly focused on the Chinese,» he said in an earlier Wednesday interview.

«That's why when we won at The Hague arbitral tribunal, the ruling was [not] only against China but also against other claimant countries. As I said, including Vietnam, Taiwan and Malaysia,» he added.

In 2016, the arbitral tribunal invalidated China's sweeping claim of nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.

Meanwhile, some scholars said the prospect of a military clash at the Second Thomas Shoal, which could potentially draw in the United States, is a growing concern.

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