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By Sammy Martin, Correspondent
The House of Representatives will prioritize at
the plenary the controversial Archipelagic Baselines bill once it
resumes session on April 22.
The third reading of the bill was aborted before
the House went on recess from the Holy Week break, apparently
because of some pressure from the Chinese government.
Cebu Rep. Antonio Cuenco said he will seek a
consensus among his colleagues on how to push House Bill 3216, which
could stir some diplomatic ripples between the Philippines and the
governments claiming ownership of the disputed Spratly Islands.
Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on
Foreign Affairs, said he even smells something fishy after the
Department of Foreign Affairs warned Congress that the Philippines
might lose its claim over the disputed Kalayaan Island Group and
Spratlys if it fails to enact a law defining the country’s
baselines before the deadline set by the United Nations (UN).
The UN wants archipelagos like the Philippines
to submit the laws defining their respective territorial boundaries
on or before May 2009. The House had already passed HB 3216 on
second reading but suddenly applied the brakes on its third and
final reading, reportedly in deference to an appeal from Malacañang
which apparently noted China’s protest against the proposal.
Cuenco disclosed that his committee had voted
unanimously to push for a recommitment of HB 3216 to the committee
for further review of its provisions.
Nograles can call all-party caucus
The veteran solon said whether or not a motion
to recommit is going to be pursued will be known when the House
resumes session next month. However, Cuenco stressed that the best
option to take is for House Speaker Prospero Nograles to call for an
all-party caucus to discuss the issue.
He admitted that the baselines proposal had
China issuing a strongly-worded warning against the serious
diplomatic implications of passing the bill. He said the Chinese
government’s message of displeasure was contained in a note sent
to Philippine Ambassador Sonia Brady last December.
Before the end of the year, China even sent its
charges d’affaires to Cuenco to personally air the concern of its
government about the second reading of the bill.
Cuenco even has a document entitled “talking
points,” that contains the Chinese government’s message sent to
Brady. It warned the Philippine government of the diplomatic
implications of allowing the passage of the bill.
Based on HB 3216, the archipelagic baselines
of the country will encompass the islets of the Spratlys, Kalayaan
Group, and Scarborough Shoal, which are being claimed by the
Philippines, China and Vietnam.
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