Former Secretary of National Defense and senatorial candidate Gilbert (GIBO) Teodoro wants to build more alliances in the region to deter further expansion of China in the disputed waters in the South China Sea.

Gibo Teodoro pointed out that the Philippines has the law on its side, which is the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague that historic occupation cannot trump the UNCLOS has also strengthened the claims of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian nations over the disputed waters.

“We have to raise moral suasion by voices from other countries in order to support us to give enough traction for China to back off. The best way really is to create enough noise. That is the realistic solution,” the 1989 bar top notcher said.

“The challenge is to find why these countries will side with us. What is there for these countries to side with us in the face of their own bilateral relations with China, which may be very substantial,” he said.

Gibo Teodoro, a senatorial candidate and former Tarlac congressman said this is where the power of legislation comes in, as lawmakers can boost the budget of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in order to get diplomats to negotiate with other countries and make alliances for the common good of these nations.

“We are not going to win our claim through combat. We will win it through diplomacy,” the former defense chief said.