Press Release
June 14, 2018

GORDON TO CHINA: YOU ARE NOT A RELIABLE ALLY

With alliances reflected in the actions of a nation, Senator Richard J. Gordon doubted the reliability of China as an ally of the Philippines after Chinese coast guards reportedly confiscated the catch of Filipino fishermen fishing in the Panatag or Scarborough Shoal.

"Alliances are best seen by the actions of a people. You are not a reliable ally. Hindi dapat pakialaman yan, you are unfriendly. Hindi ko talaga nagustuhan na, kahit hindi kinuha ang mga isda, naghahanapbuhay yung tao, bakit mo pakikialaman? Hindi naman threat yan. The fishermen are not threats. That is an unfriendly act to Asia. You are not a reliable ally or a friend. We are not enemies of China but you are treating us as if we are interlopers in our own country," he said.

Gordon said the Philippines should have the resolve to tell China that it would not be bullied, adding that China should be reminded that, at the very least, the ownership of the area is still being disputed.

"We cannot go just meekly by. Dapat umabot sa kanila (China) yan. Wag niyo kaming kaya-kayanin. Hindi kami naghihimasok sa bansa ng iba. At the very least, pinag-uusapan pa lang kung sino ang nagmamay-ari niyan. E bakit ba pinakikialaman ng Chinese coast guards yung mga mangingisda na Pilipino, Vietnamese at yung ibang may claim din diyan?" he said.

The senator reiterated the need to build the country's Armed Forces to ensure the military's capability to defend the country from threats and to protect its territories.

"That is for us, that is our land. Hindi lang natin maipairal dahil kulang tayo sa barko. We have to build our Navy, we have to build our Air Force, we have to have submarines para meron tayong ipantapat. Hindi naman kailangang malaki, basta meron lang tayong panlaban," he said.

Gordon also noted that in the world's history, the bullies, such as Napoleon Bonaparte, Adolf Hitler and Attila the Hun have always fallen.

"Sa kasaysayan ng mundo, lahat ng bully ng mundo na sumusugod sa ibang bansa, katulad ni Napoleon, Hitler, Attila the Hun, lahat iyan nahulog, ultimately nahulog," he pointed out.

Should the bullying continue, Gordon said the Philippines may be forced to form alliances with Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand or perhaps the United States.

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