MANILA, Philippines — Let Filipino songs play at night on a state-run radio station near areas being occupied by another nation in the contested West Philippine Sea.

This way, the unnamed “occupant” would know they are in Philippine territory, neophyte Senator Francis Tolentino said on Thursday.

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Tolentino floated this idea during the hearing of the Senate subcommittee on finance on the proposed budget of the Presidential Communications Operations Office for 2020.

“I would want, dapat sekreto ito e, dapat ‘pag gabi, puro Filipino songs ‘yung tumutugtog dun sa radio station natin sa Palawan,” he said.

(I would want — this is supposed to be a secret — we should play all Filipino songs at night in our radio station in Palawan.)

“Abot doon sa mga station na na-occupy ng alam niyo ng kung sino sa West Philippine Sea. ‘Yung nasa malalayong lugar na sa kanila raw ang nine-dash line,” the senator said.

(It should reach the stations of you-know-who occupying the West Philippines Sea. Those claiming the nine-dash line.)

The nine-dash line refers to China’s massive claims on most of the West Philippine Sea, which had been invalidated by the Permanent Court of Arbitration.

Tolentino said the government’s only radio station in Palawan could become the Philippines’ version of the “Voice of America.”

“Ang naririnig ng mga nagbabantay dun sa kabilang katunggali natin e puro Filipino songs, para malaman nila na they are in Philippine territory,” he pointed out.

(Our opponents should hear all Filipino songs so they would know they are in Philippine territory.)

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Senator Richard Gordon, who was presiding over the hearing, then asked if the government’s radio station in Palawan has a Chinese broadcaster.

And when told the radio station has a joint program with China Radio International, Gordon said: “Bihira naman kayo… siguro dapat tanggalin na budget talaga dito (Unbelievable… maybe their budget should be taken away).”

No wonder why, he said, some Chinese are claiming the Philippines is China’s province. /je

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