MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s creation of the National Maritime Council (NMC) is leading the Philippines to a "dangerous path," Sen. Imee Marcos said Monday, saying authorizing the body to accept aid from abroad could lead to conflict in the West Philippine Sea.

The NMC was created by Executive Order 57,  titled "Strengthening the Philippines' Maritime Security and Maritime Domain Awareness" and issued after Marcos vowed stronger countermeasures to Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea.

READ: Marcos Jr. reorganizes maritime security agencies ‘to confront serious challenges’

"Emotion rather than reason has prevailed in our maritime conflict with China and is leading us down a dangerous path that will cost us more than just Filipino pride," said Sen. Marcos, the president's sister and chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations.

Sen. Marcos cautioned against acting in haste and looking for trouble over the maritime issue with China, saying the government should instead foster understanding.

She made the  statement in reaction to the chief executive's issuance of EO 57, which was in response to China’s continuous bullying of Filipino fishermen and Philippine Coast Guard personnel in the West Philippine Sea.

'TROJAN HORSE'

EO 57 renamed and reorganized the National Coast Watch System (NCWS) into the NMC, which will function as the "central body in charge of formulating policies and strategies to ensure a unified, coordinated and effective governance framework for the country’s maritime security and domain awareness."

The EO also authorizes the NMC "accept donations, contributions, grants, bequests or gifts from domestic or foreign sources for purposes relevant to their mandates and functions."

The Philippines has, in the past, received defense assistance from abroad, including from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, Russia and China.

Sen. Marcos said that the Philippines is not yet self-reliant and warned that it could invite foreign interference in its "urge to retaliate soonest."

She also said accepting defense and maritime security donations "welcomes many a Trojan horse of foreign interference," which she said could lead to long-term conflict.

'DECLARATIONS OF SUPPORT LACK CREDIBILITY'

In the same statement, and without mentioning names, said what the Philippines should do instead is seek "solutions for peace from those who claim to be our genuine allies."

She added: "Even declarations of support lack credibility where a rules-based international order is loudly invoked amid the mute refusal to ratify the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)."

The US, the Philippines' only treaty ally, is not a party to the UNCLOS. 

"There is no shame in pursuing peace. Whatever action that may put any Filipino in danger is a gross irresponsibility and must be avoided at all costs," Sen. Marcos said.

She added, however, that it is clear that the Philippines should not give up the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

READ: Marcos says Philippines will not be 'cowed into silence' by China

'GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT'

Before the president's issuance of EO 57, former presidential spokesman Harry Roque in a media interview blamed the Marcos administration for China's aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in Ayungin Shoal.

The Marcos administration, he said, failed to respect a supposed "gentleman’s agreement" struck years ago by then-president Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping. 

The verbal agreement allegedly stated that no improvements will be made by the Philippine government to BRP Sierra Madre.

Roque’s claim, however, has been refuted by lawyer Salvador Panelo, who was Duterte’s chief presidential legal counsel.

For Sen. Risa Hontiveros, however, Roque’s claim was no longer surprising since “Duterte always kowtowed to Beijing, putting his relationship with China first before our national interest."

She pointed out that the former president “also never accorded our 2016 Arbitral Award its much-deserved respect and reverence," so it would not be unusual for Duterte to enter into the supposed agreement.

What matters more, the senator stressed, is President Marcos Jr.'s decision to rescind any concessions reached by Duterte with China.

“The BRP Sierra Madre should remain on Ayungin. Our troops have been risking their lives to guard that ship. Huwag nating balewalain ang hirap at sakripisyo nila,” Hontiveros said.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, on the other hand, said that the alleged gentleman’s agreement "would have gone through a thorough policy-making process." 

He added: "I'm confident that our national sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national interest would have been given top priority."

SENATE RESOLUTION CONDEMNS CHINA'S ACTIONS IN WPS

On Monday, Senate Majority Leader Joel Villanueva filed Resolution 980, which strongly condemned the China Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia’s "unprovoked aggression, continued harassment, and illegal and dangerous actions in the West Philippine Sea."

Resolution No. 980 also expresses the chamber’s support to the Executive branch of the Philippine government “to exert all legal and diplomatic countermeasures against the People’s Republic of China in asserting and securing the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea."

The resolution also calls on the Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense and other government agencies "to exhaust and pursue all the necessary mechanisms" and to seek diplomatic solutions to end Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea, protect Philippine interests and ensure peace and stability in the region.