The decision to expose the illegal presence of the People’s Republic of China’s floating, movable platform is not only about being transparent with the Filipino people and countering China’s lies.
It is also meant to inform the international community, like-minded states, and our allies and friends that China is once again violating UNCLOS, undermining the rules-based order, and jeopardizing the peace and prosperity of this region.
Because if we choose to stay silent — if we choose to look away from such unlawful acts — we only embolden the bully, convincing it that it can do whatever it pleases simply because it has the military and economic might to silence the rest of us.
But the Philippines will not be silenced. We choose to stand up to bullies!