Spratly Islands, Scarborough, Sabah are ours – Duterte

From Update.Ph (Mar 27): Spratly Islands, Scarborough, Sabah are ours – Duterte  

Incoming president Rodrigo Duterte said, during a press conference Wednesday midnight that lasted until the first hours of Thursday, that the Philippines owns Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal which are well inside the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in West Philippine Sea, and Sabah in southern Philippines.

“Whether you want to believe it or not, that is beside the point. The point is, that is ours,” Duterte said referring to Spratly Islands, as quoted by Manila Bulletin.

“We are allowing proprietary heirs to talk (with Malaysia). Since it is part of our claim, it will be there as our land,” the soon-to-be seated president said pertaining to Sabah.

He also told the media what he told Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua during their meeting when the Chinese envoy visited to congratulate him for winning the presidential election.

“I told [the Chinese envoy], whether you like it or not, that’s ours. The least you can do since it is in the arbitration stage, you might want to allow our brother-fishermen [to operate fishing],” Duterte said.

“You put something there (Philippines EEZ) that would obstruct or impede our movement in the exercise of that right, it’s a violation of our rights and the law of the seas,” he said.

Outgoing President Noynoy Aquino said Thursday that the are no Chinese reclamation works in Scarborough Shoal.

Aquino said the Philippine government is taking two-track approach to prevent possible attempt by China to extend its massive reclamation in the disputed West Philippine Sea up to the Scarborough Shoal which is clearly within the 200-mile exclusive economic zone” of the Philippines.

“One, is to work with ASEAN, and, of course, is arbitration and we are awaiting the decision,” he said.

http://www.update.ph/2016/05/spratly-islands-scarborough-sabah-are-ours-duterte/5999