‘PH can visit occupied islands in WPS anytime’
Credit to Author: DEMPSEY REYES| Date: Wed, 26 Dec 2018 17:40:22 +0000
The Philippines could visit all its occupied islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) anytime, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana said that despite the stance of China in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippines has always had its freedom in moving around the contested waters, especially in its occupied islands in the vicinity, even as Beijing already established its presence with various structures.
“They are not preventing us from moving around. We can go there to our islands scattered there in the Spratlys (Kalayaan Island Group), outside our EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” he said.
Lorenzana said China has always been in his mind, especially with their actions in the contested waters of the West Philippine Sea, but admitted he could do little about it.
“I wish I could make it go away, but they [China and the Philippines] are not even. If we are going to show them our arbitral ruling document, that they have no business there, they will not even honor it, so, that’s it,” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel aired on late Christmas Eve.
The United Nations-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) based in The Hague has ruled that the Philippines has sovereignty over the disputed waters, dismissing the “nine-dash line” claim of China.
President Rodrigo Duterte, however, has been expressing a softened stance towards China, with Lorenzana admitting that the Chief Executive did not want to provoke any war with the Asian giant following the ruling of the PCA.
The Philippines has troops stationed in nine islands in the Spratlys, including Pag-asa (Thitu) Island, Kota (Loaita) Island, Parola (Northeast Cay) Island, Likas (West York) Island, Patag (Flat)
Island, Panata (Lankiam Cay) Island, Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Rizal (Commodore) Reef and Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.
Manila is also a claimant of the militarized areas by China in the disputed sea, including the Mischief (Panganiban) Reef, Subi (Zamora) Reef and Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef.
Lorenzana said the Philippines remains “cautious” despite the ruling of the PCA, granting victory to Manila.
“For a while, I was contemplating, shall I force a task force to go there and assert our claim to Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal, but after discussion, I said no, no, no,” he said.
Lorenzana admitted that China is “really stronger” compared to the Philippines, and the country does not have enough force in confronting Beijing in the disputed waters.
However, he saw that if the claimant countries in Southeast Asia over the West Philippine Sea would unite, he said they would be “strong enough” against China.
The other claimants of the South China Sea are Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Malaysia and Indonesia.
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