From the Philippine News Agency (May 21):
Solons seek P1-B budget for fortification, improvement of Kalayaan Islands’ defense structures
Mindanao lawmakers are seeking a P 1 billion appropriation for the
improvement, fortification and building of structures in the Kalayaan Group of
Islands in Palawan to protect the sovereignty
of the country, solidify its claim over the area, and promote tourism industry
in the locality.
The proposed P 1 billion appropriation would be used for the construction of
a safe harbor, berthing facilities and the repair of the Rancudo airfield on
Pag-asa island. The fund would also be used to enhance the tourism industry of
the Islands, according to Reps. Rufus
Rodriguez (2nd District, Cagayan de Oro City) and his younger brother Rep.
Maximo Rodriguez, Jr. (Party-list, Abante Mindanao).
“In order to strengthen our claim and protect our sovereignty, we need to
build more structures and fortify our defense of these islands, particularly
the construction of a safe harbor as well as the repair of the Rancudo airfield
on Pag-asa Island. Aside from solidifying our
claim, the construction of structures in the Kalayaan Islands
would also improve the tourism industry there,” said the elder Rodriguez.
According to the lawmakers,
Kalayaan
Islands is a fifth class municipality
in
Palawan, which has a population of around
300 to 400 people. It has one barangay, Pag-asa, and a 1.3-kilometer airstrip
that is used by both the military and civilians.
The
Kalayaan Islands
have been the subject of claims of different countries including
Vietnam,
Palau,
Malaysia and
China.
The country said the areas covered by
Vietnam’s
unilateral partial submission are “disputed because they overlap with those of
the
Philippines.”
The
Philippines also
contested the submission by the
Republic
of Palau establishing the
outer limits of its continental shelf that lie beyond 200 nautical miles. It
said the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial
sea of
Palau
is measured overlaps with the maritime jurisdiction of the
Philippines.
The lawmakers noted that at present, the different countries, particularly
China, have built strong fortifications and military
structures in the
Kalayaan
Islands. On several
instances, Chinese gunboats even confiscated fishing nets of Filipino fishermen
and the increasing Chinese intrusions and their illegal occupation of Mischief
(Panganiban) Reef are already alarming to the country’s security.
In House Bill 4167, the lawmakers sought the appropriation of P 1 billion
for the improvement, fortification and building of structures in the Kalayaan
Group of
Islands. An annual report regarding
the use of the funds appropriated shall be submitted to both the Senate and the
House, the bill provides.
The bill is now pending at the House committee on appropriations chaired by
Rep. Isidro Ungab, Jr. (3rd District,
Davao City).
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=645577
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