Palace remains firm it will not recognize Chinese names in PH rise

FILE: Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. ( YANCY LIM/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO)

While not attributing any bad faith to China, Malacañang stood fast by its decision to not recognize the names Red Dragon has given to five underwater features in the Philippine Rise and will continue giving them Filipino names.

“Hindi po natin kikilalanin iyong mga pangalan na binigay ng mga Tsino diyan, binigyan po natin ‘yan ng mga pangalan na Pilipino (We will not recognize the names China has given, we gave Filipino names to the underwater features in the region),” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a radio interview on DZMM on Sunday.

Roque said he hoped that China will not hold it against the Philippines if it has decided not to acknowledge the Chinese names they have given to the features in the plateau.

The Chinese government submitted the names of the five underwater features in the Philippine rise: Jinghao Seamount (found at about 70 nautical miles east of Cagayan province), Tianbao Seamount (found at about 70 nautical miles east of Cagayan province), Haidonquing Seamount (found at about 190 nautical miles east of Cagayan province), Cuiqiao Hill, and Jujiu Seamount.

Malacañang earlier said that it maintains its trust in China even after protesting its move to name the undersea features, saying that naming it does not mean they are claiming it.

The Palace expressed hope that China will understand the protest to the naming, since the Philippines has the sovereign rights over the region.

“We are just saying, respect us too, that we will give Philippine names to them,” Roque said.

PH rejects Chinese names

In a statement on February 14, the Palace official said the government rejected China’s move of naming underwater features at the Philippine Rise formerly known as Benham Rise.

“We object and do not recognize the Chinese names given to some undersea features in the Philippine Rise,” Roque said.

“Per our Philippine embassy in Beijing, they have already raised our concern to China,” he added.

The spokesman also cited that the Philippines also turned down the name given by the Americans, since Benham Rise was named after American Admiral Andrew Benham.

“Ang stand natin, bahala kayo ano ang ibigay niyo d’yan, basta kami magtatalaga kami ng Pilipinong pangalan gaya ng ginawa na naming sa pagbalewala sa dun sa pangalang binigay ng mga Amerikano sa lugar na ‘yan, ngayong Philippine Rise na (Our stand is that it is up to you what name to give, but for us we will give it Philippine names which we already did when we ignored the American name given to it, now that we call it as Philippine Rise),” he stated.

He further stressed that some name suggestions were already brought up in a meeting in Malacañang earlier.