Press Release
March 16, 2009

Transcript of Interview of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile

Q: May commitment din before na mapasa yung the same bill, ano ang kaibahan ngayon?

SP: Ipapasa din namin yan e. But the only thing is, we need to see to it that the law is properly implemented. The necessary facilities will be extended and the other needed inputs so this land reform program will be meaningful to the beneficiaries.

Q: Did you say 5 years?

SP: Yes, 5 years.

Q: Sir, yung presence ng vessel ng China sa transit sa Spratley, is that something that we should be alarmed?

SP: I don't think so. It is natural because they have the capability to put out navy patrol in the area. To me, it is not an aggressive act on their part. It is part of the exercise of their sovereign right over the area, in the same way that we send our boats to the islands that we occupy in the South China Sea.

Q: Reaction nila sa baselines?

SP: I've talked to the Chinese ambassador this morning and we discussed the issue, and I told him that I was the author of the law and we simply follow the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. We have no intention to disregard the claim of China, in the same manner, I hope, they will not disregard the claim of the Philippines over the same area. All of us are claiming this island. The claims are in dispute at the moment and I express the hope that the matter will be resolved diplomatically and in a friendly way, After all, we're friends and we have diplomatic relations to one another and that is the direction that we have to follow.

Q: Anong explanation daw po nung ambassador sa warship? Warship daw po ba talaga yun?

SP: Yes, of course, it's a warship. They have a right to go through the seas with their warship. China is major power of the world, like America, Japan, Britain, and the others. If we have the equipment, we can do the same.

Q: Who sought the meeting with the Chinese ambassador?

SP: These are calls. Calls from me. I had the Ambassador of Bangladesh this morning.

Q: Sir, ang purpose is to clarify?

SP: No, no, no. It was just an official call and the course of our discussion and I asked what is going on in the South China Sea between the US and China and I told them that this is of concern to us; China is our friend and we have a mutual defense treaty with the US. And apart from that, as a country in this part of the world, we have an interest to see to it that this is maintained and he said there is no problem.

Q: Pero ano yung explanation sa Chinese warship?

SP: It's is simply there was, I understand, an American surveillance ship that entered their economic zone and they have to assert their right over the zone in the same manner if somebody will enter our economic zone, we will equally assert our right over the zone.

Q: So the deployment of the ship has nothing to do with baseline?

SP: It has nothing to do with the baseline. The ship is too far away.

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