More troops sent to WPS to strengthen claims

The Philippine military has sent additional troops to the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to strengthen the country’s occupation in its claimed territories.

In a pre-State of the Nation Address forum held at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Wednesday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said, “To maintain effective occupation over Philippine islands and features, our Armed Forces (AFP) deployed more personnel to these areas.”

Aside from positioning more troops there, Esperon said that the Department of National Defense (DND) has also started the rehabilitation of the islands’ structures.

“The construction of the beaching ramp and repair of runway in Pag-asa Island are now ongoing,” he said.

Moreover, Esperon stressed that some of their efforts to resolve the issue in the Philippine-claimed waters are the constant high-level visits and meetings between both the Philippines and China.

“These efforts seek to improve the ability to manage developments in the WPS so as not to escalate tensions, to widen the access of Filipino artisanal fishermen in Scarborough Shoal, and to protect our environment and marine ecosystem,” he said.

(DAILY NEWS ROUND UP FOR 07/ 19 /18)