Recent actions by the United States in Venezuela weaken the country’ moral position in opposing China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea, Mamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima said Sunday.
In a post, de Lima criticized the reported abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, saying it undermines international rules that smaller countries depend on for protection.
“It is most regrettable that the United States under Trump has once again regressed into an aggressor state not unlike China, Russia, and Israel,” de Lima said.
She said such actions damage the credibility of countries that claim to defend a rules-based international order, while acting in ways similar to those they condemn.
For the Philippines, de Lima said the issue goes beyond global politics and has direct consequences for its maritime dispute with China.
“As a U.S. ally, this leaves the Philippines with a compromised moral ascendancy in protesting, condemning, opposing, and fighting China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea,” she said.
De Lima said the situation should prompt a reassessment of the country’s reliance on major powers for moral leadership.
She called on Congress to hold high-level consultations with defense, intelligence, security, and foreign affairs agencies to craft a strategic response to the impact of superpower actions on the Philippines’ position in the West Philippine Sea.
