Virgilio Lorenzo Jr

Former Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s Executive Secretary Vic Rodriguez speaks to supporters after filing his certificate of candidacy at Manila Hotel Tent City on October 8, 2024. Rodriguez is now allied with former President Rodrigo Duterte. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Paige Javier

Carmelle Lacuata

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA – Senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez said on Tuesday he does not agree with the assertive stance of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the West Philippine Sea issue.</p><p>Speaking on Harapan 2025, the former Executive Secretary claimed that the Philippines&#x27; supposed pivot to the United States, a long-time economic and military ally, is contrary to the President&#x27;s earlier pronouncement.</p><p>&quot;Suriin niyo ang pahayag ni Bongbong Marcos noong 2022 SONA, as regards our standing in the community of nations that we shall be friends to all and an enemy to none. Eh nag-pivot ka na. Nandito na tayo, kaaway na natin ang China, dahil we are not pursuing ang independent foreign policy kung di interes ng Estados Unidos ito eh,&quot; Rodriguez said.</p><p>&quot;Ang sinasabi ko, let us defuse and de-escalate the tension. Huwag natin silaban,&quot; he added.</p><p>Contrary to Rodriguez&#x27;s statements, Marcos Jr. has reiterated that the Philippines “will never be part of an escalation in the situation” in the West Philippine Sea. </p><p>&quot;All we are doing is resupplying our fishermen, protecting our territorial rights. Again, it will be provocative and will be seen as an escalation - we don&#x27;t do that. The Philippines does not escalate tensions. Quite the opposite, the Philippines always tried to bring down the level of tension,&quot; he said in December 2024, after rejecting the deployment of more Philippine Navy warships in the West Philippine Sea to counter China&#x27;s presence.</p><p>Rodriguez, meanwhile, also questioned the presence of alleged US military bases under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which he claimed violates the 1987 Philippine Constitution.</p><p>The Supreme Court upheld in 2015 the legality of EDCA, which allows Philippine and American militaries to train together and respond to humanitarian crises.</p><p>The high court stressed that EDCA is an executive agreement that is anchored on a previously upheld agreement, the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), which went through the Senate and the legal scrutiny of the SC. Thus, EDCA is not the principal agreement that first allowed the presence of US facilities and troops in the Philippines which would need Senate ratification. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/nation/01/12/16/sc-rules-edca-is-constitutional" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">SC rules EDCA is constitutional</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/07/26/16/supreme-court-upholds-edca-rejects-mr" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Supreme Court upholds EDCA, rejects MR</a></div><p>Since the signing of EDCA in 2014, nine military bases have been identified as EDCA sites.</p><p>Rodriguez claimed Manila&#x27;s stance and pronouncements against Beijing on the maritime dispute may cause tension, affecting Filipinos overseas.</p><p>&quot;We are putting Filipinos in harm&#x27;s way na andun sa teritoryo ng China. Yung Pilipino sa Macao, yung Pilipinong nasa Hong Kong, yung Pilipinong sa Mainland China. Paano kapag nagka retaliation?&quot; he said.</p><p>Marcos Jr. in April 2023 said the Philippines will not allow its military bases to be used for any offensive attacks, a week after Manila allowed Washington to access 4 more of these sites under the EDCA. </p><p>&quot;Ang reaction ng China ay hindi naman siguro katakataka dahil nag-aalala sila. Pero hindi naman tayo papayag na Pilipinas, hindi tayo papayag na gamitin ang mga bases natin para sa kahit anong offensive na aksyon. Ito ay para lamang tulungan ang Pilipinas &#x27;pagka nangangailangan ng tulong ang Pilipinas,&quot; he said.</p><p>(China&#x27;s reaction is not really surprising because they are worried. But the Philppines will not allow the use of its bases for any offensive action. These will only be used to help the Philippines if it needs help.)</p><p>The President added that the Philippines would not launch any military offensive unless the country is attacked first, and EDCA sites would only be used to bolster the country&#x27;s defenses.</p><p>&quot;Kaya&#x27;t kung wala namang sumusugod sa atin, hindi na sila kailangang mag-alala dahil hindi naman sila natin lalabanan. Ang ginagawa lamang natin ay ipagpatuloy natin na pinapatibay natin ang depensa ng ating teritoryo, ang pagdepensa ng Republika,&quot; he said.</p><p>(If there is no one attacking us, they do not have to worry because we are not going to attack them. What we are only doing is continuing to bolster our territory and our Republic&#x27;s defenses.)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/04/10/23/edca-sites-wont-be-used-for-offensive-attacks-marcos">Marcos says EDCA sites won&#x27;t be used for offensive attacks</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/06/08/23/marcos-jr-denies-ph-policy-shift-away-from-china">Marcos Jr. denies PH policy shift away from China</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/10/marcos-rejects-sending-warships-to-west-philippine-sea-1047">Marcos rejects sending warships to West Philippine Sea</a></div>

<p>Senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez said on Tuesday he does not agree with the stance of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the West Philippine Sea issue.</p>

Senatorial aspirant Vic Rodriguez said on Tuesday he does not agree with the stance of the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on the West Philippine Sea issue.

Harapan 2025: Rodriguez rejects EDCA, says Marcos Jr. should defuse tension in WPS

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Harapan 2025: Rodriguez rejects EDCA, says Marcos Jr. should defuse tension in WPS

Paige Javier,

Rose Carmelle Lacuata,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 07, 2025 11:18 PM PHT

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