Former senator and now Representative Leila de Lima is urging the Philippine government to adopt a more forceful and strategic approach in confronting China’s continued aggression in the West Philippine Sea, nine years after the country’s legal triumph in The Hague.
In a statement released on the anniversary of the 2016 arbitral ruling, De Lima emphasized the importance of using legislation not merely as a defensive tool, but as an instrument to enforce the Philippines’ maritime rights.
“Panahon na para ang batas natin ay maging sandata, higit pa sa pagiging depensa (It’s time for our laws to serve as weapons, not just as a line of defense),” she declared.
De Lima and fellow lawmakers in the self-styled “West Philippine Sea bloc” have introduced several measures in the House of Representatives aimed at translating the arbitral award into real-world policies. These include reforms in education, national commemoration, and foreign relations.
One of the key proposals, House Bill No. 1625, seeks to integrate the legal and historical foundation of the Philippines’ maritime claims into the primary and secondary school curriculum.
“We cannot expect our youth to defend what they do not understand,” De Lima said, stressing the power of knowledge as the “first act of patriotism.”
The bloc also filed House Bill No. 1626, which aims to declare July 12 as “National West Philippine Sea Victory Day” to annually commemorate the historic win and reinforce national awareness of sovereignty issues.
Meanwhile, House Resolution No. 39 calls for a reassessment of sister-city ties with Chinese municipalities. De Lima criticized these partnerships as “walang saysay (meaningless)” given Beijing’s persistent provocations and dismissal of the arbitral ruling.
The July 12, 2016 decision by the arbitral tribunal in The Hague invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ rights within its exclusive economic zone — a ruling China continues to ignore.
