Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 27) — Two senatorial candidates of the opposition are urging the government to involve other countries in negotiations on the South China Sea dispute, saying China cannot be trusted.

“Duda ako sa bilateral negotiations. Dapat multilateral 'yan (I doubt bilateral negotiations. That should be multilateral),” Makabayan candidate Neri Colmenares said during the CNN Philippines Senatorial Debate on Saturday.

Manila and Beijing officials have pushed for bilateral negotiations to resolve conflict in the South China Sea, a vast global waterway where both countries have overlapping claims.

But Colmenares said, “Tuso ang gobyerno ng Tsina. Hindi pwedeng pagkatiwalaan (China is deceptive. It cannot be trusted).”

Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay of opposition slate “Otso Diretso” agreed the issue should be “internationalized.”

“Hindi tayo pwedeng makahon sa isang bilateral negotiation… Hindi pwedeng hindi natin ginagamit ang ating panalo (arbitral ruling) dahil 'yung ating panalo 'yung susi para magkaroon ng malakas na koalisyon ang iba’t iba bansa laban sa China,” he said.

[Translation: “We cannot be boxed in a bilateral negotiation. We should use our arbitral win because that is key for countries to have strong coalition against China.]

Hilbay was the solicitor general when the country won its case against China in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in July 2016. The landmark ruling, which Beijing rejects, invalidated China's claims to almost the entire South China Sea. It ruled that none of the features it claims in the area included in the Philippines' submissions generate an exclusive economic zone. The tribunal recognized Philippine sovereign rights in certain sea areas within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, saying they are not overlapped by any possible entitlement of China.

The candidates were asked what the government’s next step should be as Chinese vessels swarmed Philippine-occupied Pag-asa Island, one of the biggest islands in the contested Spratlys and the seat of the Kalayaan municipal government under the province of Palawan. The Philippine government protested China’s actions and even invoked the Hague ruling, something that President Rodrigo Duterte earlier said he could not do for fear of going to war against China.

Duterte recently warned China to “lay off Pag-asa Island,” but also stressed that he prefers to seek a compromise instead because the Philippines cannot beat China in a war.

Senator JV Ejercito, who is seeking reelection, on Saturday agreed that the Philippines is "no match against China" militarily, but urged the public to trust the Senate, citing a recent incident where lawmakers blocked a China-funded camera surveillance project.

“Dapat po yung CCTV camera surveillance system, Huawei ang gagawa, China po dapat ang kontrata. Pero hinarangan, kinontra po ng Senado because believe in your Senate, we are indeed the last bastion of democracy. We will protect the interest of the people,” he said.

The ₱20-billion loan project with China was supposed to put up 12,000 camera surveillance systems around Metro Manila and Davao City, but critics and some government officials expressed concern it could compromise national security. The Duterte administration assured that won’t happen.