Senator Risa Hontiveros

Opening Statement to the Senate Committee on National Defense at a Special Hearing on the West Philippine Sea

delivered 12 September 2023, Pasay City, The Republic of the Philppines

[English Translation of the Originally Delivered Tagalog Language]

Thank you, Mr. Chair [Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr.]; Thank you [Arabic], Senator Robinhood [Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla]; good morning  to us all.

Many thanks to our Chair of the Committee on National Defense, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, on hearing my privilege speech about the brutality of China towards our troops on the West Philippine Sea.

The focus of my speech are the little intelligence funds given to the Philippine Coast Guard. Since 2009, our Coast Guard only receives 10 million pesos [PHP] every year. It is not fair that whoever defends against an enormous country, they are not given enough intelligence funds.

Should there be civilian agencies mandated to address our national security issues not receiving confidential and intelligence funds, why not the Coast Guard? Should they not be given larger confidential and intelligence funds? Is this not common sense?

Currently, majority of their intelligence work relies on HUMINT or human intelligence. However, with the size and scope of the work of the Coast Guard in matters of maritime governance, it needs to be supplemented with SIGINT or signals intelligence.

The lives of the Coast Guard are at stake in every patrol and adventure in the West Philippine Sea. They are the ones who always face the huge, numerous ships of China.

We have seen how badly our troops get injured – from water cannons and lasers to all-day harassment of our small boats. Just this week [September 10, 2023], local and international media captured the videos and photos of us being chased and attacked in our own territory.

And in recent years, the obstruction and harassment of China towards our resupply and rotation mission in Ayungin [or Second Thomas] Shoal  has been visible and palpable. China wants to remove our most important sovereign marker, the BRP Sierra Madre and the Philippine Navy Marines, from Ayungin.

That much is clear.

Therefore, we hope today, that we can all agree on taking tangible steps in fortifying the BRP Sierra Madre, to safeguard Ayungin Shoal, to protect the rights and dignity of our country. Whether we have different politics or stances, I am sure that on the matters of the West Philippine Sea, everyone here is truly united.

Salamat po, Mr. Chair.

[AUTHENTICITY CERTIFIED: Text version below checked against verbal delivery]

Salamat, Mr. Chair [Jose Pimentel Ejercito Jr.]; Shukran, Senator Robinhood [Robinhood Ferdinand Cariño Padilla]; magandang umaga po sa ating lahat.

Maraming salamat sa ating Chair ng Committee on National Defense, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, sa pagdinig din ng aking privilege speech tungkol sa kalupitan ng Tsina sa ating mga tropa sa West Philippine Sea.

Sentro sa talumpati ko ang napakaliit na intel funds na binibigay sa Philippine Coast Guard. Mula 2009, P10 million lamang ang natatanggap taon-taon ng ating Coast Guard. Hindi makatarungan na kung sino pa ang dumedepensa laban sa isang dambuhalang bansa, sila pa ang hindi nabibigyan ng sapat na intel funds.

Kung may mga civilian agencies na hindi naman mandato ang pagtugon sa national security issues natin nakakatanggap ng confidential and intel funds, bakit naman ang Coast Guard hindi? Hindi ba dapat mas sa kanila ibigay ang mas malaking confi and intel funds? Hindi ba common sense ito?

Sa ngayon, malaking parte ng intel work nila ay nakadepende sa HUMINT o human intelligence. Ngunit, sa laki at lawak ng trabaho ng Coast Guard sa usapin ng maritime governance, kailangan dagdagan ito ng SIGINT o signals intelligence.

Buhay po ng Coast Guard ang nakataya sa bawat pagpapatrol at pakikipagsapalaran nila sa West Philippine Sea. Sila po ang lagi't laging humaharap sa napakalaki at napakadaming barko ng Tsina.

Nakita natin kung gaano saktan ang ating tropa -- mula sa pagwawater cannon at paglelaser hanggang sa buong araw na pang-gigitgit sa maliliit nating mga bangka. Nitong Linggo lang [September 10, 2023], kuhang-kuha sa mga video at litrato ng local at international media na hinahabol at inaatake tayo sa sarili nating teritoryo.

At nitong nakaraang mga taon, kitang-kita at damang-dama ang panghaharang at panghaharass ng Tsina sa mga resupply at rotation missions natin papuntang Ayungin [or Second Thomas] Shoal. China wants to remove our most important sovereign marker, the BRP Sierra Madre and the Philippine Navy Marines, from Ayungin.

That much is clear.

Kaya sana sa umagang ito, we can all agree on taking tangible steps to fortify the BRP Sierra Madre, to safeguard Ayungin Shoal, to protect the rights and dignity of our country. Iba-iba man ang ating mga politika o paninindigan, sigurado ako na sa usapin ng West Philippine Sea, tayong lahat na nandirito ay tunay na nagkakaisa.

Salamat po, Mr. Chair.

Original Tagalog Text Source (and Verified via Audio/Video Above: legacy.senate.gov.ph

Transcript Note: English translation by freelance professional language expert

Page Created: 10/16/23

U.S. Copyright Status: Text = No known copyright restrictions.