The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) assured that it is “doing its best” to ensure that the Philippines’ territories in the Spratly Islands are being protected.
AFP Chief of Staff General Carlito Galvez Jr. made this remark in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo on Monday, May 14.
Galvez said that the military is currently “coordinating with its counterparts” and verifying reports that China installed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles systems on three Philippine-claimed reefs which are Fiery Cross Reef (Kagitingan), Subi Reef (Zamora), and Mischief Reef (Panganiban).
[READ: Report: China ‘quietly’ installed missiles in Spratlys]
He, however, refused to provide details on what the Philippine military is particularly doing to maintain the country’s sovereignty amid China’s build-up in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), saying that it is an “operational matter” and it cannot be discussed because the issue is “very sensitive.”
“Ang ginagawa natin ngayon (What we are doing now), we cannot say, this is already an operational matter, but rest assured that the Armed Forces is doing its best to really assure that our territory are ours, are being protected,” Galvez said.
Galvez added that they deployed one marine battalion to the north to help them protect the nation’s sovereignty in the island and its rights over the seas.
“We still maintain the nine islands, and also western portion we are also protecting the seven islands along the Sulu and Celebes Sea,” he stressed.
The Philippines occupies nine features in the Spratly Islands, locally known as the Kalayaan Island Group, which include Pagasa Island (Thitu), Ayungin (Second Thomas Shoal), Lawak Island (Nanshan), Parola Island (Northeast Cay), Patag Island (Flat), Kota Island (Loaita), Rizal Reef (Commodore), Likas Island (West York), and Panata Island (Lankiam Cay).
Each of the outposts is manned by troops from the Philippine Navy and Philippine Marines.
GMA’s Saksi reported on May 8 that the Philippines has been lagging behind China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Taiwan in the “occupied areas” as well as in the reef-building activities in the WPS.
Images from the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) showed that Beijing now inhabited larger territories which had ports and piers, while Vietnam has built facilities on 21 rocks and reefs in the Spratly Islands.
Malaysia also developed the areas it occupied and Taiwan had a runway and a wharf built.
The nine features that the Philippines occupied, however, had no significant changes, especially in Pag-asa Island.
“Mukhang (It seems like) everything is being held back dahil nga doon sa pakikitungo natin sa (because of how we deal with) China. Habang ang China tuloy-tuloy ang development nila (While China has continuous development),” maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal told Saksi.
The Duterte administration earlier said that it has not stopped asserting the country’s territorial rights in the WPS while keeping its warm relationship with Beijing.