Sison on PH economic zone row: ‘It’s Duterte who is stupid’
Credit to Author: The Manila Times| Date: Thu, 27 Jun 2019 09:40:52 +0000
EXILED Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Maria Sison called President Rodrigo “stupid” and a “traitor” for allowing China to fish within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
Sison issued the statement after Duterte called Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio “ buang” (stupid) for contradicting him, saying that the Chinese “can’t fish in Philippine territory” and warned that sharing of marine resources with the communist state was unconstitutional.
Sison, who has been in self-exile in Utrecht, The Netherlands, said in a post on Facebook that Duterte was “so blinded by bribes from China that he has become ignorant of the Constitution he is sworn to uphold.”
Sison cited Section 2 of Article 12, the National Economy and Patrimony in the 1987 Constitution, saying that: “The State shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use and enjoyment to Filipino Citizens.”
Sison also raised the arbitral ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in 2016, favoring Manila on its claims within the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and disregarding Beijing’s so-called nine-dash-line claim.
Sison said Duterte’s comment that China could fish within the country’s EEZ and that the Philippine itself has no sovereignty within the EEZ “runs counter” to the constitutional provision.
“According to Article 56 of the United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea, this means the Philippines has exclusive rights to explore, exploit, conserve and manage the natural resources in the area. This includes fish, oil and natural gas,” he added. DEMPSEY REYES
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