PHL won’t allow dispute to turn into a war with China —Palace

From GMA News (Jun 19): PHL won’t allow dispute to turn into a war with China —Palace

Malacañang on Friday sought to allay the fear voiced out by most Filipinos in a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) that the dispute over territories in the South China Sea will result in a war with China.

At a press briefing, deputy presidential spokesperson Usec. Abigail Valte said the government will not let the sea row escalate into a full-blown armed conflict.

"Iyon din ang iniingatan ng pamahalaan na ayaw nating magkakaroon ng insidenteng magkakaroon ng tendency to escalate,” Valte told reporters.

"Kapag nag-escalate iyan, paano na ang magiging epekto niyan hindi lang sa mga sundalong humaharap sa panganib kundi pati na rin sa mga ordinaryong taong tulad natin?” she added.

Valte said that it is but “natural” for Filipinos to fear war.

"It will be unnatural if you don’t worry about armed conflict because in an armed conflict, no one wins,” she said.

On Thursday, an SWS survey conducted in March showed that 84 percent of Filipinos are worried "about armed conflict with China in the disputed islands of Scarborough Shoal.”

The Scarborough Shoal off the coast of Zambales, known locally as Panatag Shoal, was the site of an incident involving the Chinese Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen in April.

In 2012, Chinese and Philippine vessels were engaged in a standoff in the same shoal when the Philippine Navy tried to apprehend Chinese vessels fishing in the area.

‘PHL pursuing right tracks'

The same poll also showed that 49 percent strongly or somewhat approve of Philippine government’s actions to address its territorial dispute with China.

The administration still believes it is pursuing the right approach to the sea row.

"Sa ating paniniwala, tama pa rin po ang mga track na kinukuha natin,” Valte said.

The Palace official added that the Philippines cannot resort to “direct action” to solve its territorial spat with China.

"It is not unknown to us that there are some who favor direct action. When I say kapag nagkakaroon ng incident, ng harapan, gusto nila parang ituloy na or maging agresibo,” Valte said.

"Sa paniniwala naman ng ating pangulo at ng ating administrasyon, it is in the nation’s best interest if we continue to adopt a peaceful manner of addressing the disputes that we have,” she added.

Manila and Beijing have been locked in a territorial dispute over resource-rich parts of the South China Sea over the past years.

China uses its so-called “nine-dash line” theory to assert ownership of almost the entire South China Sea, while the Philippines uses the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as its basis for its claim.

The Philippines, which calls the disputed areas the “West Philippine Sea,” has already sought international arbitration before a Netherlands-based tribunal to nullify China’s massive claims over South China Sea. Oral arguments on the case will begin next month.

Beijing, however, has refused to participate in the arbitration proceedings, insisting instead on bilateral talks to settle the dispute.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/506950/news/nation/phl-won-t-allow-dispute-to-turn-into-a-war-with-china-palace