Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1752047411110174931969548420181119-chinese-flag-xi-jinping-state-visit-MD-8757.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chinese flags wave with Philippine flags along Roxas Boulevard in Manila on November 19, 2018. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA — House lawmakers, who are identifying themselves as the &quot;West Philippine Sea bloc,&quot; filed on Wednesday a resolution urging the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to investigate sister city arrangements with Chinese cities over possible &quot;national security&quot; concerns.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/9/beijing-bullying-in-fish-and-film-irks-ph-coast-guard-1110">Beijing bullying in sea and film irks PH Coast Guard</a></div><p>Akbayan party-list Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, and Dadah Ismula; Dinagat Islands Rep. Arlene Bag-ao; Albay 1st District Rep. Krisel Lagman-Luistro; and ML party-list Rep. Leila de Lima formed together the WPS bloc.</p><p>De Lima called their resolution an &quot;essential audit&quot; to ensure no local government unit (LGU) would compromise the country’s victory over China in the 2016 arbitral ruling.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/8/49-chinese-coast-guard-navy-ships-monitored-in-west-ph-sea-in-june-1509">‘Highest so far this year’: 49 Chinese coast guard, navy ships monitored in WPS in June</a></div><p>“Ito po ay isang essential or important audit– sovereign audit ng mga ganyan na mga arrangements. We must ensure that no local hand—an LGU—would be compromising our national backbone, ‘yung ating victory sa WPS issue before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA),” De Lima said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/3/17/atin-ito-coalition-sets-3rd-civilian-mission-concert-in-west-ph-sea-1635">&#x27;Atin Ito&#x27; coalition sets 3rd civilian mission, concert in West PH Sea</a></div><p>The investigation would include monitoring all sister city and other local government agreements with China, conducting risk assessment to determine malign interference, as well as crafting recommendations to revise policy frameworks on sister cities in the Philippines.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>EDUCATION</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Another bill from the bloc aims to make teaching West Philippine Sea history mandatory at the primary and secondary levels.</p><p>De Lima said the bill seeks to utilize education as a means of fighting disinformation on the West Philippine Sea.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/22/group-pushing-wps-inclusion-in-school-curriculum-edukasyon-hindi-lang-emosyon-1154">Group pushing West Philippines Sea inclusion in school curriculum: &#x27;Edukasyon, hindi lang emosyon&#x27;</a></div><p>“Simple po ang mensahe niyan na kung inuulan ang internet ng mga disinformation, ang sagot po namin ay edukasyon. Kailangan tapatan ‘yung kasinungalingan ng mga katotohanan, ng facts about the West Philippine Sea,” De Lima said on Wednesday.</p><p>For Lagman, Filipinos should be taught at a young age about fighting for what is rightfully theirs.</p><p>“Importante po talaga na maging bahagi tayo ng laban na ito at maganda na ma-educate talaga mga kabataan. Sa murang edad, dapat marunong silang ipaglaban kung ano ‘yung para sa kanila,” Lagman told reporters.</p><div><br/><strong>NATIONAL WPS VICTORY DAY</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>Meanwhile, House Bill 1626, filed by the WPS bloc lawmakers as well, wants to declare July 12 the &quot;National West Philippine Sea Victory Day&quot; to commemorate the country&#x27;s win before the PCA.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/16/read-arbitral-courts-ruling-on-philippines-vs-china">READ: Arbitral court&#x27;s ruling on Philippines vs China</a></div><p>“Despite the decision of the PCA, Chinese vessels remain in the Panatag Shoal and other parts of the West Philippine Sea. They continue to harass and threaten Filipino fisherfolk and prevent them from exercising their traditional and legal fishing rights in the area,&quot; the bloc said in their bill&#x27;s explanatory note.</p><p>Declaring July 12 as the West Philippine Sea Victory Day &quot;will keep the spirit of our nation’s landmark triumph alive in the hearts and minds of the Filipino people,&quot; they added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/2/20/groups-want-school-lessons-to-teach-youth-the-west-philippine-sea-is-real-1635">Groups want school lessons to teach youth the West Philippine Sea is real</a></div><p>Under the proposed law, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will be the lead agency in organizing activities for the annual event, highlighting the importance of the “historic PCA decision.”</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/So29EfrXBYQ?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/MoN5BBXbLQA?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>Rep. Leila De Lima called their resolution an "essential audit" to ensure no local government unit would compromise the country’s territorial integrity.</p>

Rep. Leila De Lima called their resolution an "essential audit" to ensure no local government unit would compromise the country’s territorial integrity.

New 'WPS bloc' in House eyes probe into PH-China LGU deals

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New 'WPS bloc' in House eyes probe into PH-China LGU deals

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 09, 2025 03:57 PM PHT

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Updated Jul 09, 2025 03:59 PM PHT

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