'We have not lost Panatag' — PH Navy chief

From Rappler (Sep 10): 'We have not lost Panatag' — PH Navy chief

CONFIDENT. Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano chats with reporters. Photo by Carmela Fonbuena/Rappler

 

MANILA, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III did not mention the tension with China or its buildup in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal when he addressed the top navy officials of ASEAN countries, a number of them also caught in territorial disputes with Beijing.  But the President highlighted the need to "strengthen our partnerships with them."

"I trust that this meeting will lead to the mutual enrichment of our navies—to the sharing of vital lessons in accomplishing missions—whether these be maritime patrols, search and rescue operations, or the interdiction of pirates and other security threats—all towards the creation of an ASEAN environment more secure than ever before," Aquino said in his keynote speech at the 7th ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting held in Makati on Tuesday, September 10.

The government continues to discuss how it can respond to China's buildup in Panatag Shoal, a rocky sandbar located within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). China, which put up 75 concrete blocks in the shoal, maintained it is part of its territory.

READ: China put up 75 blocks in Scarborough

'We have not lost Panatag'

Navy chief Vice Admiral Jose Luis Alano said the Philippines has not lost Panatag despite China's buildup there. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin earlier said the concrete blocks are clearly a "prelude to construction."

Alano said there is constant surveillance of the area and there are no significant changes in the shoal since the discovery of the concrete blocks.

He said the government is mulling its options to remove the concrete blocks there. "That’s being discussed but I do not like to preempt the decision made about this," Alano told reporters.

He did not elaborate, but he highlighted the protest lodged by the Philippines against China. "What the Philippines has done is to address this through the international tribunal. This is now up to the international community to discuss but we have a very strong position on it and this is now being undertaken by the Department of Foreign Affairs," Alano said.

Regional cooperation

In his speech at the ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting, Alano stressed regional cooperation.

"It has always been our objective and will continue to be the objective of the ASEAN Navy Chiefs' Meeting to address many challenges of maritime security that threatens current peace and stability of the region — ranging from internal strife, global crisis, transnational crimes, natural calamities, competition for resources, and even cyberspace attacks," Alano said.

"Due to the enormity and complexity of these issues, no one organization or country -- no matter how powerful -- will be able to handle them. But collectively, working in synergy, it no loner becomes an impossible task," he added.

Participating countries include Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.


 

 

 

http://www.rappler.com/nation/38579-philippines-panatag-navy