Lawmakers on Sunday backed the proposal of Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. to terminate projects of Chinese firms involved in West Philippine Sea reclamation projects, following the lead of the United States.In separate statements, Samar 1st District Rep. Edgar Sarmiento and Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate expressed support for Locsin’s recommendation, which mirrors the US imposition of sanctions and restrictions last week on 24 state-owned Chinese companies for taking part in building artificial islands in the disputed waters.

This developed as two retired Supreme Court justices and a former Foreign Affairs secretary urged the government to ask the United Nations General Assembly to enforce the 2016 ruling of a UN tribunal that favors the Philippines in its territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.Retired Supreme Court associate justices Antonio Carpio and Conchita Carpio-Morales and Locsin’s predecessor, former Ambassador Albert del Rosario, said this was the most opportune time for the Duterte administration to bring the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) ruling on the South China Sea before the 75th regular session of the UN General Assembly, where leaders of 193 countries will gather on Sept. 15.