MANILA -- The Senate on Tuesday adopted a resolution "strongly condemning" China's "continued harassment" of Filipino fishermen as well as their "persistent incursions" in the West Philippine Sea.

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The resolution was filed by Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri and Sen. RIsa Hontiveros.

The resolution cited several instances wherein China supposedly violated the Philippines' sovereign rights, as well as its refusal to acknowledge the 2016 ruling of a United Nations (UN) backed court invalidating most of its claim in the South China Sea.

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"In contravention of the arbitral award... China, through its coast guard and militia vessels, continues to harass and turn away Filipino fishermen, blocking their access to the West Philippine Sea and depriving them of bigger harvest and better income," the resolution read.

The Senate said it acknowledges the Department of Foreign Affairs' (DFA) efforts to hold dialogue with China, but recommended 5 actions should it continue to ignore the Philippines' plea.

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1. Bring international attention to China's harassment
2. Utilize international fora to rally multilateral support to enforce the Hague ruling
3. Engage with "like-minded" countries to call on China to respect the Hague ruling
4. File a resolution before the UN General Assembly
5. Pursue other diplomatic modes

In a statement, Hontiveros thanked her colleagues "for this concerted effort" to pass the resolution, calling it a "victory" for the country.

"In the face of relentless China propaganda since last week, we held our ground... Isang napakahalagang tagumpay ito hindi lang ng Senado kundi ng buong Pilipinas. The Senate crossed party lines to stand unified for our country," she said.

Zubiri likewise said he is proud of the senators for supporting the resolution.

"Regardless of political color, regardless of where we come from politically, we are together when it comes to the sovereignty of our country. And I am very proud of this Senate for doing so," he said.

The resolution was a refined version of the one initially filed by Hontiveros last week, which seeks to elevate China's harassment before the UNGA.

The original resolution was met with opposition after some senators said it would only hurt the Philippines' position in the dispute.

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