“Ipaglaban ang ating karapatan. Ipaglaban ang West Philippine Sea.” — Rep. Leila de Lima  

ITO ang naging pahayag ni  Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima kasabay ng ika 9 taong anibersaryo ng panalo ng Pilipinas laban sa Tsina sa usapin ng West Philippine Sea (WPS) sa Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) The Hague, Netherlands.

“Siyam na taon na ang nakalilipas, nagtagumpay ang Pilipinas sa Permanent Court of Arbitration sa The Hague. In that historic ruling, the world recognized what we have always known: that the West Philippine Sea is ours—under international law, and under the principles of justice and sovereign equality,” ani De Lima.

Ngunit, ang tagumpay na hindi natitinag ay isa umanong panalo na nasa panganib.

“That ruling was never meant to gather dust in the archives. It is meant to be lived, taught, and defended,” dagdag nito.

Miyembro ng bagong buo na WPS bloc sa Kamara sina De Lima, Akbayan Partylist Reps. Chel Diokno, Perci Cendaña, Dadah Kiram Ismula, Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao, at Albay 1st District Rep. Krisel Lagman.

(Vina de Guzman)