THE Philippines lost four of the 11 islands it is claiming in the Spratlys to its allies Vietnam and Taiwan, in addition to the four reefs that China is now converting into military facilities.
During the forum on the West Philippine Sea held late last week, Defense Undersecretary for Strategic Assessment Raymund Quilop said that out of the 11 islands claimed or owned by the Philippines, three have been occupied and claimed by Vietnam, while the biggest island, Itu Aba or Taiping Island has been occupied by Taiwan.
Unlike China, Vietnam and Taiwan have not militarily fortified the islands that they have occupied during the past years, but instead developed them for commercial purposes or even resorts, escaping the attention of the Philippines and the international community.
One of the islands occupied by Vietnam, the Southwest Cay, is just more than a kilometer away from the Northeast Cay, which is occupied by Philippine troops. When Vice Adm. Alexander Pama was still the Navy flag officer in command, the Philippines and Vietnam agreed to jointly patrol the two islands and their surroundings against China.
Quilop said that the Philippine-claimed Kalayaan Islands Group (KIG) is composed of 11 islands and 86 features, that are also being claimed by China and Brunei Darussalam, in addition to Vietnam and Taiwan.
Of KIG’s reefs, two are occupied by the Philippines, 17 by Vietnam, three by Malaysia and seven by China.
China’s ongoing reclamation or development of the seven reefs that it occupies by turning them into military bases with ports that can accommodate its largest vessels and runways for its aircraft is making the international community and the country nervous because the activity was being undertaken to support its plan of dominating the South China Sea.
These reefs that are being made into artificial islands are Kagitingan Reef (Fiery Cross Reef), Calderon Reef (Cuarteron Reef), Burgos Reef (Gaven Reef), Mabini Reef (Johnson South Reef), McKeenan Reef (Hughes Reef), Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) and Zamora Reef (Subi Reef).
The Navy spokesman, Marine Col. Edgard Arevalo, said Subi Reef, where a runway is also being built by China, was the source of at least six challenges or harassments of Philippine patrols over the past weeks.
In those instances, China told the Filipino pilots to turn away because they are in Chinese territory. China also challenged on two occasions US patrols, but its warnings were laughed off by US pilots.
Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio said the reclamation on Mischief Reef has reached about 500 hectares while that in Kagitingan Reef, already covers about 200 hectares.
Additional structures and fortifications are being built in the reclaimed areas.
Carpio said that at Burgos Reef, a four to five storey building has also been constructed.
source: Business Mirror
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