Philippines files protest over alleged reclamation on Hughes Reef

From the Business World (Jun 13): Philippines files protest over alleged reclamation on Hughes Reef

The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest to the Chinese embassy over its reclamation activities on the Hughes (Kennan) Reef, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Friday.

The DFA said there are supposed reclamation activities of China in five reefs: Johnson South (Mabini), Cuarteron (Calderon), Hughes (Kennan), Gaven (Burgos) and Eldad (Malvar).

“As far as I know on the Mabini [Reef], we have filed [a protest] already. While in Kennan/Hughes, we have filed a protest last week,” DFA Spokesperson Charles C. Jose told reporters in a press briefing.

Mr. Jose said the protest was filed since the reclamation activities on the Hughes Reef were confirmed already, while those in other areas are still to be verified.

The DFA spokesperson added in a text message that the Hughes Reef is “actually two reefs but taken as one.”

In May, the department released a series of photographs that appeared to show large-scale reclamation in stages on a disputed reef in the South China Sea, also known as the West Philippine Sea.

“This series of photographs... from Philippine intelligence sources, shows in stages the extensive reclamation by China on Mabini Reef (Johnson South Reef),” the DFA earlier said in a statement.

The department said that these actions are considered “destabilizing” and violates the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC) and the international law.

The Philippines said it filed a diplomatic protest against China’s reclamation efforts on the Mabini reef in April, but Beijing rejected it on grounds that the reef is supposedly part of Chinese territory.

Asked on the plans for the supposed reclamation activities in the other areas, Mr. Jose said in a text message: “If reclamation work is confirmed, we’ll also file a protest.”

Malacañang, for its part, said it would not respond to “provocative acts”.

“Well, apparently, they are very aggressive in pursuing their expansion in the West Philippine Sea, and obviously, these steps are designed to advance the theory of their nine-dash line,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail F. Valte said at a separate press briefing on Friday.

Ms. Valte added that the Philippines will still choose diplomacy to address the ongoing tensions with China: “We have chosen those tracks: the legal, the political, as well as the diplomatic; and we will stick to that. Again, we will not respond to provocative acts.”

http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Philippines-files-protest-over-alleged-reclamation-on-Hughes-Reef&id=89152