Deputy Permanent Representative Elizabeth Te of the Philippines Mission to Asean said during her Commission on Appointments.
MANILA, Philippines — China has been “remiss” in its obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), a Filipino envoy to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) said as the Philippines protests recent Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea.
“Yes, China has been remiss,” Deputy Permanent Representative Elizabeth Te of the Philippines Mission to Asean said during her Commission on Appointments (CA) hearing Wednesday.
This was her response when asked by Senator Risa Hontiveros if the envoy thinks that China was “remiss” in “keeping its word” in the maritime dispute with the Philippines.
“Because at this point, it’s known to everyone that her (China) presence in our territorial waters for the past months continues to post a threat to our national security,” Hontiveros added.
China and countries that have conflicting territorial claims over the South China Sea, including Asean members Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei, have been negotiating for the passage of a Code of Conduct, an accord that seeks to prevent the escalation of tensions in the disputed waterway.