Armed Forces chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejana wants to put up more structures in Philippine-occupied areas in the West Philippine Sea even as more Navy assets were ordered deployed to the contested area.
In a press briefing yesterday, Sobejana lamented China’s violation of agreements forged by claimant countries not to put up additional structures in areas they are occupying, while they find ways to resolve the territorial dispute.
China is claiming almost the entire South China Sea. The Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, and Vietnam are claiming parts of it. The West Philippine Sea is the Philippine-claimed portion of the South China Sea.
Sobejana was referring to China’s land reclamation in several Chinese-occupied reefs a few years ago. China later installed advance weapons systems on the reefs.
“We are entertaining also the idea, of course subject to the wisdom of NTF-WPS (National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea) to put up structures in that area just like what China is doing,” said Sobejana.
The structures, he said, should be built only in the nine Philippine-occupied areas, the largest of which is Pag-asa island which serves as the seat of government of Kalayaan town in Palawan.
“The reason we didn’t put up structures there before is because we have an agreement that no one should put up structures. But this was violated by China,” said Sobejana.
“That’s why we have to put up structures starting now and again that is subject to the consideration of the NTF-WPS,” said Sobejana.
Sobejana said the military continues to beef its presence in the WPS, adding there are 10 Navy ships conducting sovereignty patrols in the area. These are on top of several Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources in the area.
At least 200 Chinese militia vessels or fishing vessels have been seen by the military since last month inside Philippine waters. They were initially massed at Julian Felipe Reef but later dispersed to other areas.
On the possible escalation of the tension due to the increased number of Navy assets in the area, Sobejana said this will be dependent on the reaction of China which is encroaching into the Philippines’ 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
“Our intention in going there is to ensure the ensure the security of our fishermen and secondly, protect our marine resources in our exclusive economic zone,” said Sobejana.
Sobejana said Chinese fishing activities in the area are “unregulated.”
“As reported by our naval patrols, there are large fishing boats of the Chinese there and their equipment are sophisticated and we don’t want that to continue. Otherwise, our marine resources will be destroyed,” he said.
Sobejana said the military continue to collate evidence on the activities of the Chinese in the West Philippine Sea.
He also said he told Chinese defense attaché, during a recent meeting, that the WPS belongs to the Philippines but the official insisted it is part of China.
“As far as they are concerned, that belongs to them and as far as we are concerned, that’s ours. Now, as to how to resolve it, of course everything, anything may happen. But I should say that war is the last resort. So we have to exert other means to resolve this problem in a diplomatic and peaceful manner,” Sobejana said.
The task force on Wednesday said the Philippines is beefing up its presence in the South China Sea and deploying more ships and an aircraft to protect its maritime territory and resources.
“We are exhausting all means possible to protect our territory and EEZ,” it said in a statement.
President Duterte has ordered authorities to continue “sovereignty patrols,” and intensify operations against illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in its territorial waters, the task force said. — With Reuters
