CONSTRUCTIVE SPEECH – Minimum of 5 mins, but Maximum of 7 mins.

Is the Philippine should adopt the "Friendlier Approach" to China to resolve the conflict on the West
Philippine Sea?

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Maribeth Salvadora, the team captain of Group 4. We are on
the negative side, and we firmly believe that the Philippines should not adopt a friendlier approach to
China to resolve the conflict on the WPS. We strongly agree that the friendlier approach only tolerates
and permits the continuous exploitation of China through their assertiveness in the form of offshore
drilling, land reclamation and militarization activities, harassment of foreign fishing and oil exploration
ships. It only allows them to take advantage of our territorial sea and exclusive economic zone. In the
bilateral meeting of President Marcos at Thailand, the President of China Xi Jin Ping states that he wants
‘friendly’ approach to the WPS dispute for the Philippine;s national development and economic
revitalization. But as we observe, "China is behaving like a bully” as per Gilberto Teodoro Jr said the
Philippines Defense Chief/Secretary. According to the fishers group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang
Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, Zambales fisherfolk have been losing 70% of their income per fishing trip
since 2020 due to intensifies harassment and presence of China vessels. Many Filipinos depend on the
WPS. And Experts fear that the continuous harassment and incursions vessels may have a long lasting
impact and eventually lead to the collapse of the fishing industry in the Philippines.

Retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio, an expert on the issue, said that in 2016,
an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines in a landmark maritime dispute,
which concluded that China has no legal basis to claim historic rights to the bulk of the South China Sea.
As we all know, it is our country's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which China repeatedly violates.
China submitted nine dashed lines as their national boundaries in 2009. Nevertheless, China did not
explain sufficiently the legal basis for the dashes, and the dashes had no fixed coordinates. As a matter of
fact, on August 31, 2023, the Philippines rejected the 2023 version of China's Standard Map issued by
the Ministry of Natural Resources of the People's Republic of China on August 28, 2023, as Hontiveros
took it a step further by calling China “delusional” for the move.

According to Article 192 of the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention for the Law of the Sea), "states have
the obligation to protect and preserve the marine environment." But as we observe, China's massive and
wanton reclamation in the Spratlys is destroying the marine environment. In addition to our 1987
constitution of the Republic of the Philippines, Article 12 of the National Economic and Patrimony Act,
Section 2, states, "The state shall protect the nation's wealth in its archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and
exclusive economic zone and preserve its use and enjoyment exclusively for Filipino citizens."
Knowing the Constitution and the historical rights that we have as a country proves that the West
Philippine Sea is exclusively for Filipino citizens. In November 2002, ASEAN states and the People's
Republic of China agreed upon a Declaration on the Conduct of Parties to the Southeast China Sea.
Then, on January 22, 2013, the Philippines instituted arbitral proceedings against China in a dispute
concerning their respective "Maritime Entitlements". As a matter of fact, China failed to comply with the
tribunal's decision. As Justice Carpio said "Comply strictly with UNCLOS because one day we will use
UNCLOS to defend our EEZ in the WPS against China".

Above all, we can still fight in a legal and non-violent way. As long as the Philippines is following the
arbitral ruling, China has no basis to declare war against the Philippines, as explained by Justice Carpio.
So it is necessary to examine, act, get involved, and stand on our historical facts. In regards with maritime
disputes in the West Philippine Sea. We, the negative side is firmly in the side of Preventive diplomacy rather than
Friendlier. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary, Enrique A. Manalo (DFA),
diplomatic protest is the most common method the country can use to address issues in the West
Philippine Sea. Preventive diplomacy is a diplomatic action taken to prevent disputes from arising
between parties, to prevent existing disputes from escalating into conflicts, and to limit the spread of the
latter when they occur. We cannot resort to establishing a warmer friendship with China because this
does not only fail to serve the purpose of the state to resolve such a dispute, but it also condones the
blatant abuse and exploitation when we are legally entitled to stop them.

Therefore, the negative team is firmly AGREE that the Philippines should NOT adapt its friendlier
approach to China to resolve the conflict in the West Philippine Sea. As retired Justice Carpio said
"Let us not be afraid to fight because law and history are on our side".