Press Release
December 3, 2018

Sen. Bam: No to secret deals with China, put Filipinos first

Sen. Bam Aquino maintained that the administration should not enter into secret deals with China and ensure that the welfare of Filipinos is prioritized in its agreements with the Chinese government.

"Wala po dapat secret deals, dapat malinaw iyan. Pagdating sa teritoryo, pagdating sa ekonomiya, pagdating sa trabaho," Sen. Bam said in a senatorial forum hosted by CNN Philippines.

"Hindi naman masamang mangarap na sa ating bansa, ang Pilipino ang una at hindi dayuhan," added Sen. Bam.

Sen. Bam lamented the government's unclear policy when it comes to its relationship and dealings with China, especially when it comes to our territory in the West Philippine Sea and the agreements entered into during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"Ano sa mga build, build build projects ang natuloy na? Magkano ba yung interest rate ng bawat proyekto? Ilang Chinese workers na ba talaga ang nandito? Lahat iyan, hindi malinaw sa atin," Sen. Bam pointed out.

Sen. Bam added that the country's economy has not improved since the government decided to pivot to China.

"Kasama sa kanilang pangako, gaganda ang ekonomiya natin if we pivot to China. Gumanda nga ba? Hindi naman. Darami raw ang trabaho. Dumami ba? Hindi naman," Sen. Bam emphasized.

Sen. Bam challenged the Senate to take the lead in investigating the government's dealings with China and look into whether the country will benefit from them.

On September 19, 2016, Sen. Bam filed Resolution No. 158 seeking to clarify the country's foreign policy direction and determine the administration's position on several issues, including the West Philippine Sea, Benham Rise and other dealings with China.

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