PH to file diplomatic protest vs China reef militarization

FILE: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon)

The Philippine government chose the diplomatic way in its protest on China’s “militarization” in the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef.

Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana recalled on Monday the Chinese government’s promise.

“Our stand here is that we will register our protest through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) because I know for a fact that the Chinese government said some time ago that they are not going to militarize those reclaimed islands,” Lorenzana told the media in a press briefing on Monday.

The Defense Secretary made the statement days after the China Central Television, China’s state broadcaster, showed shots of a hospital and a military base on the reef.

He, however, cited that China said that “they are not militarizing the reefs but are doing it for peaceful purposes such as tourism.”

“But if it is true that we can prove that they have been putting soldiers in there and even any weapons that would heighten their defensives there… that will be a violation of what they said,” he stated.

Lorenzana said that the West Philippine Sea Task Force headed by General Hermogenes Esperon is communicating with DFA for the protest.

He then added, “We are going to urge for a protest if all these will be proven and if we can see that the Chinese are militarizing the area which is very near our place, the Fiery Cross.”

Furthermore, according to Lorenzana, they have received reports of the Chinese Coast Guard allegedly harassing Filipino fishermen, though he refused to give details about it.

Fiery Cross Reef is within the locality of the Kalayaan Group of Islands at the West Philippine Sea near Palawan.

Before 2018, Lorenzana has also mentioned reports of militarization – in which China claimed these developments as “reasonable.”

(Read: On China expansion: DND knows, Palace doesn’t)