đź“· manilatimes.net
AMID swarming Chinese vessels surrounding the Recto Bank, the government finds it imperative to intensify its position against China by deploying a Philippine Navy warship at the Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in an apparent effort to prevent another artificial island from being built in the area.
According to Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, the deployment of the warship is basically there for documentation of an anticipated reclamation by China.
“The Navy has increased its patrols in Sabina Shoal. For the past good number of days, we have had one warship stationed in the area. This is to ensure that whoever is doing that, whoever is piling up dead corals in Sabina Shoal, we will be able to expose their activities,” Trinidad told reporters in an interview at the Armed Forces of the Philippines headquarters in Quezon City.
He however clarified that they have yet to see any landfilling in the area which was earlier reported to have been dumped with dead corals as reported over the weekend by the Philippine Coast Guard.
“So far, none… the approach here is to show the world that we are a responsible player following international law,” added Trinidad even as he took note that the mission is just to prevent foreign vessels from creating another artificial island at the West Philippine Sea, which according to him is well within the 200-nautical mile Philippine exclusive economic zone.
“We will do everything to ensure that Sabina and all other features within our EEZ will remain under Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights,” he further said, in reference to the Escoda Shoal which is just 120 kilometers away from Palawan.
To date, China has successfully completed the transformation of shoals into seven artificial islands – including one which according to previous reports looks more like a military installation. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
