Pinapurihan ni Speaker Martin Romualdez si Pangulong Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. sa isa na namang tagumpay para mapalakas ang posisyon ng Pilipinas sa West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Kasunod ito ng suporta ng Czech Republic sa laban ng Pilipinas sa WPS at ang pagkilala sa isinusulong na rules-based order matapos ang pulong nina Pangulong Marcos at Czech President Petr Pavel.
Ani Romualdez, ang suportang ito ay bunga ng exceptional diplomatic efforts ng Pangulo.
Kapwa nanindigan ang dalawang lider na ang pagtalima sa international law para masiguro ang malayang transportasyon ng mga kalakal, dahil makakaapekto ito hindi lang sa ekonomiya ng Czech Republic ngunit ng kalakhan ng Europa.
Batay sa datos ng United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), one-third ng global shipping ay dumadaan sa South China Sea.
“Support from countries like the Czech Republic significantly reinforces the Philippine position and amplifies the international voice dismissing China’s sweeping claims over the area. It could also help promote a rules-based approach to resolving maritime disputes by international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” sabi ni Romualdez.
Kinilala din ni Romualdez ang pagsusulong ni Pangulong Marcos ng ugnayan ng dalawang bansa sa defense, cybersecurity, at modern technologies.
Naniniwala ang House Speaker na makakatulong ang Czech defense companies sa ikinakasang re-horizon 3 sa ilalim ng Revised Armed Forces of the Philippines Modernization Program (RAFPMP), lalo na para sa pagpapalakas ng ating archipelagic defense.
“Such cooperation can bolster the Philippines’ defense capabilities, enhance maritime security in the region, and contribute to deterring potential threats to our sovereignty and territorial integrity in the West Philippine Sea,” giit ni Romualdez.
“Advancements in modern technologies such as AI, surveillance systems, and communication networks can enhance the Philippines’ capabilities in maritime domain awareness, intelligence gathering, and disaster response, which are particularly relevant in the context of the South China Sea,” dagdag ng House Speaker. | ulat ni Kathleen Forbes
