No reason to be alarmed, Pinoy prelate tells kababayans in China

There is no reason for Filipinos in China to panic following the UN arbitration court's ruling favoring Manila's case against Beijing in connection with the dispute over parts of the South China Sea, a Catholic bishop said Wednesday.
According to Bishop Ruperto Santos, strong ties between the two countries will prevail despite the landmark ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration against China and its massive claim over the resource-rich South China Sea.
"As for our fellow citizens working and living in China, we don’t think there's cause for alarm," said Santos, who chairs the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Migrants and Itinerant People (CBCP-ECMIP).
"We have strong ties with the people of China," he added, even as he lauded the ruling, saying it can "set the course for a peaceful resolution of the dispute."
The prelate also believes the "reservoir of goodwill and friendship" between Filipinos and Chinese citizens would not be affected by the ruling, which was issued Tuesday, more than two years after the case was filed.
They were also urged to carry identification papers "at all times" and report any threat received to the embassy and Chinese police. —KBK, GMA News

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