Zubiri wants China infrastructure contractors blacklisted

by CeCille Suerte Felipe Philstar.com

MANILA —

In the face of China’s continued acts of intimidation in the West Philippine Sea, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri has raised the idea of blacklisting Chineseowned companies involved in the production of military equipment used to harass Filipinos at sea.

Instead of giving projects to Chinese companies, Zubiri suggested that major government infrastructure ventures be awarded to South Korea or Japan. Zubiri earlier proposed a boycott of Chinese products and companies in the Philippines.

In a radio interview, Zubiri said Filipino taxpayers are unwittingly funding China’s illegal incursions and harassment in the West Philippine Sea with the Philippine government’s continued patronage of Chinese contractors in big-ticket public infrastructure projects all over the country.

“The DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways) has projects, the companies are state-owned companies ... owned by China itself, by the Chinese government. They are not doing anything but bullying our compatriots in the WPS, our fishermen,” Zubiri said.

“Well, let’s not just recover.

Let’s blacklist those companies. Why are the taxes of our fellow Filipinos being used to pay for state-owned companies? That income will go back to China, and China will use it to pay their navy and coast guard who are harassing us here. That’s not right. That is not right,” he added.

Zubiri’s call came days after an incident in Ayungin Shoal where the Chinese coast guard fired water cannon at a Filipino vessel delivering provisions to soldiers stationed on BRP Sierra Madre.

He said other government agencies like the Department of Transportation (DOTr), which supervises the PCG, should refrain from dealing with Chinese contractors.

He cited a recent one-on-one meeting with Transportation Secretary Jaime Bautista where he reminded the official of the Chinese coast guard’s hostility toward the PCG.

Zubiri said he was happy to hear Bautista say that the DOTr would no longer tap Chinese companies for the department’s