Sen Bam Aquino Slams Malacanang for Changing its Stand in China's Naming Benham Rise

Senator Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV criticized Malacañang Palace on Friday, February 16 via a Facebook post for allegedly changing its stand against China’s move to name some features at the Benham Rise. The Liberal Party (LP) senator was referring to the two opposing statements of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque this week.

“Ang bilis namang nagbago ang ihip ng hangin sa Palasyo. Noong Miyerkules lang, nagprotesta tayo sa ginawang pagpangalan ng China sa ilang bahagi ng Benham Rise. Ngayon naman, wala nang bad faith ang China. Bakit pabago-bago ng salita ang Malacañang tuwing isyu ng China at teritoryo ng Pilipinas?” Sen. Bam Aquino said.

“Whether China acted in bad faith remains to be seen, and we hope to shed more light on the issue in our hearing on Philippine Rise on February 26.” He added, referring to Roque’s statement on Thursday, saying that the Philippines continues to trust China despite its naming of five undersea features at the Benham Rise (Philippine Rise).

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"We are not attributing any bad faith to China. It (diplomatic ties between China and the Philippines) won't be affected because there is no controversy in the Philippine Rise," Spox Harry Roque said in the press briefing in Malacañang, adding that the Philippines will still give its own names to the 5 undersea features that China has named.

"Even the name given by the Americans, we did not recognize it. If we don't recognize the Chinese names, we are just being consistent. We are just saying, respect us too, that we will give Philippine names to them. China recognizes that they don't have any right to Benham Rise and they recognize our sovereign rights over Benham Rise," he added.



However, Roque sang a different tune last Thursday. “We object and do not recognize the Chinese names given to some undersea features in the Philippine Rise. Per our Philippine embassy in Beijing, they have already raised our concern to China,” he said in a statement that day. As of posting, he has not commented on Aquino’s remarks.

Contributed by Renato Pasayao