Philippines, Feb. 10 -- The Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) jointly conducted by the Philippines, the United States, Australia, and Japan on Feb. 5 was welcomed on Monday by Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros, emphasizing its role in maintaining a "free, open, and secure" Indo-Pacific region.

"This shows that the Philippines is not alone in ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains free, open, and secure," Hontiveros said in a statement.

The senator said the exercise reinforces international consensus against China's territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea, which she described as "baseless and in direct violation" of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

She also underscored the s...