WATCH: Rufus Rodriguez urges global action vs China’s maritime abuses
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines — In a video released by his office on Wednesday, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez called on an international alliance of legislators to pressure China into adhering to international maritime law, citing numerous instances of what he termed Beijing’s “illegal and coercive actions” against the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea.
Speaking at the opening plenary session of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) Brussels Summit 2025, Rodriguez specifically urged the group to push the People’s Republic of China to comply with the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos) and the July 12, 2016 Award issued by the International Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague.
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“The Unclos provides for sovereign rights of the Philippines within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) 200 nautical miles from our country’s coast,” Rodriguez told the plenary.
He pointed out that the 2016 ruling invalidated China’s expansive ‘Nine-Dash Line’ claim to the South China Sea, finding it had no legal basis under Unclos.
Zamboanga del Norte 3rd District Rep. Adrian Amatong who is with Rodriguez in Brussels, told the Inquirer on Wednesday, Nov. 12, that the country needs all the support it can get from the international community as it faces an economic behemoth in Asia.
“As a small country, we need to be part of a coalitions like IPAC to help us be protected from the abuses of China,” Amatong said.
Convened four years ago, the Ipac is a global alliance of lawmakers composed of 43 parliaments and 290 legislators representing some 47 nations across the globe.
These are Albania, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Canada, Colombia, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, European Union, Fiji, France, Germany, India, Iraq, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kenya, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, New Zealand, North Macedonia, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Republic of China (Taiwan), Romania, Serbia, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, The Philippines, The Solomon Islands, The United States of America, Uganda, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Uruguay, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Instances of abuse
Rodriguez strongly condemned China’s actions within the Philippines’ EEZ, which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.
He highlighted a pattern of aggression that has led the Philippine government to file 245 diplomatic protests against Beijing since 2022.
Specific instances of these alleged abuses and dangerous behavior include water-cannon attacks against Philippine vessels, ramming of Philippine boats and laser targeting of Philippine Coast Guard ships.
“I call on Ipac members to join my country in urging China to comply with international law to ensure peace and stability in our Region,” Rodriguez said, seeking a unified, multilateral response to the maritime dispute. /cb
