(Special Report) PN remains committed to fulfilling mandate despite challenges in WPS

From the Philippine News Agency (Jun 19): (Special Report) PN remains committed to fulfilling mandate despite challenges in WPS

Despite increasing incidents of Chinese assertiveness at the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the country's naval force remains committed to fulfilling its security mandate and sovereignty in the disputed waterways.

This was stressed by Philippine Navy (PN) flag-officer-in-charge Vice Admiral Jesus C. Millan in reply to the Philippines News Agency when asked whether the Navy intends to continue its sovereignty patrols in the wake of continued Chinese aggressiveness in the WPS as proven by their ongoing reclamation activities and incidents of aircraft challenge.

"The Navy will continue to perform our security mandates to protect the Philippine sovereignty and (territorial) integrity," Millan said.

"And our units are fully aware of the challenges in the maritime environment. We are continuously sending our aircraft and ships to perform their regular missions," he stressed.

However, the PN chief said that all of their units are directed to avoid actions/miscalculations that would affect stability in the area.

"Our troops were told to exercise diligent actions to support Philippine (track) to peacefully resolve (the) issues. We will sustain our deployed fleet and marine units in the WPS," Millan added.

In support of this, Department of National Defense (DND) spokesperson Dr. Peter Paul Galvez earlier said that the country is committed in maintaining its "moral high ground" despite ongoing Chinese reclamations and other construction activities at disputed portions of the West Philippine Sea.

This means that the Philippines will not conduct activities that are detrimental to the 2002 Declaration of Conduct between ASEAN and China which prohibits parties from constructing new facilities in disputed areas.

Galvez said that the Philippines will continue to be transparent in all its actions at the disputed territory.

He added that China will have the capability to maintain and sustain large military aircraft once it completes its airstrip at Fiery Cross (Kagitingan Reef).

"I'm not so sure (on the state of the airstrip's completion), they were saying that it's like 75 percent, I'm not so sure on how long it is but its already more than halfway, they were saying that it is three kilometers long approximately, (with that length), it can (handle) large aircraft, like cargo and military ones," he added.

Once they had that kind of facility, the DND spokesperson said China will have the capability to maintain and sustain such aircraft which will be likely a cause of concern for all nations having overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea.

"If they can sustain maintain (that) airfield they can put there a jet anytime and you know it can be (used) in enforcing (an) ADIZ (air defense identification zone) anytime," Galvez stressed.

The DND spokesperson earlier said that Chinese continued and aggressive action is creating a lot of speculations among nations having overlapping claims in the above-mentioned waterways.

China is conducting reclamation and building activities in seven locations in the West Philippine Sea.

To ease down the tensions, Galvez said China should stop all construction activities and dismantle all facilities it has set up on the disputed areas.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=10&sid=&nid=10&rid=774297