General Gregorio Catapang Jr also gets to see the reclamation work of the Chinese in nearby Subi Reef
STRONG MESSAGE: Armed Forces chief Gregorio Catapang Jr and Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez in Pag-Asa Island. Rappler photo
"I'm
visiting this place to establish the fact that Pag-asa is municipality
of Palawan and Palawan is a province
of the Republic of the Philippines Philippines ," Catapang said in a statement
obviously meant for China ,
which claims almost the entire South China Sea .
Pag-asa is the
second biggest naturally occurring island in the West
Philippines . It is home to a small community of about a hundred
Filipinos who depend largely on government subsidy.
A military C-130
plane brought Catapang to the island and allowed him to go around the West
Philippine Sea to check the status of Philippine-occupied features in the area
and nearby reclamation activities of China
"Before we
landed we saw the reclamation in the Subi (Zamora
He earlier
expressed concern that China 's
reclamation activities will result in the militarization of the area and cut the country's access to the West Philippine Sea.
The C130 flight
was not challenged by the Chinese when it flew over Chinese-occupied areas. The
Palawan-based Western Command (Wescom) recorded at least 6 incidents of harassment against Philippine planes by Chinese
frigates recently.
Catapang also
inspected military facilities and led various activities on the island.
http://www.rappler.com/nation/92872-catapang-tithu-west-philippine-sea
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