Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Benjamin Madrigal, Jr., said that they have not received any reports of increased number of Chinese fishing boats near Pagasa Island, Palawan.
In an interview at Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City, Madrigal also said that they have not received reports of activities in the island being hampered due to the reported presence of Chinese ships.
File photo of AFP Chief of staff and former Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen Benjamin Madrigal. (Keith Bacongco / FILE / MANILA BULLETIN)
“Wala pa naman kaming na-receive na report na merong ano dito, hampered yung ating activities diyan [We have not received any report that there are, that the activities there are hampered]. But of course iyung, sabi nga iyung continuous monitoring ginagawa natin [We are continuously monitoring],” Madrigal said.
“The same its true with other countries who are also interested in developing… this is happening in their area,” he added.
Washington think tank Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) earlier said China has responded to the new construction in Pagasa Island by deploying a large fleet of ships from Subi Reef, just over 12 nautical miles southwest of Thitu. These include several People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLAN) and China Coast Guard (CCG) ships, along with dozens of fishing vessels ranging in size from 30 to 70 meters.
The AMTI said a handful of Chinese vessels have operated in the area between Subi and Thitu since at least July 2018, likely in response to the initial Philippine effort to start runway repairs last May 2018. But their numbers increased to at least 24 on December 3, 2018 just before the current construction operations began.
In five subsequent satellite images captured from mid-December to late January, their numbers fluctuate, reaching a high of 95 on December 20 before dropping to 42 by January 26, 2019.
Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, meanwhile, said improving the safety, welfare, livelihood, and personal security of Filipinos in the Municipality of Kalayaan, a distinct and separate town under the province of Palawan, is the government’s Constitutional mandate,
Lorenzana made the remark following reports on the alleged deployment of Chinese militia in response to Philippine efforts to start runway repairs on Pag-asa Island.
Kalayaan, according to Lorenzana, has been part of the sovereignty of the Philippines since 1978, by virtue of Presidential Decree No. 1596 and international laws.
Lorenzana said the Department of National Defense has always been open and transparent in conveying and fulfilling the government’s desire to improve the living conditions of both the civilian and military citizens in the community of Barangay Pag-asa, the largest of the nine islands in the municipality comprising the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG).
The other islands in the KIG include Kota Island, Parola Cay, Patag Reef, Likas Island, Lawak Island, Panata Cay, Rizal Reef, and Ayungin Shoal.
According to the defense chief, among the facilities being constructed / upgraded in Pag-asa are the beaching ramp which will be completed by the first quarter of this year, air strip (Rancudo Airfield), better barracks for soldiers, desalination facilities, sewage disposal system, conventional and renewable power generators, lighthouses, shelters and storage facilities for fishermen.
“These planned modest improvements are basic but nonetheless highly essential in delivering social services to raise the standard of living and improve the quality of life of Filipino citizens on the island,” Lorenzana said.
“Having undergone careful planning and consideration, with full respect to international law and rules-based order governing civilized states, implementing these improvements is a legitimate undertaking, and well within our rights as a sovereign nation,” he added.
Lorenzana said the presence of militia on the Chinese man-made structures is no surprise to them as they have been there since 2012.
“We expect other countries to respect Philippine sovereignty, and to conduct themselves in a civilized manner befitting members of the global community,” Lorenzana said.
https://news.mb.com.ph/2019/02/13/afp-denies-reports-of-increased-chinese-activities-near-pagasa-island/
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