Phl to pursue peaceful approach in resolving sea row

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the reclamation activities of China on the four reefs within the Kalayaan Island Group in the disputed Spratlys archipelago, the government remains hopeful the maritime row will be settled peacefully among the parties involved.

While alarmed by China’s “creeping invasion” in the region, a security official said government’s peaceful approach in dealing with the crisis has confined the military’s deterrence operations to territorial monitoring activities.

“Since our national policy is to address maritime dispute through a legal and peaceful way, all we could do is to monitor the activities over our own maritime domain in the region and use this to further bolster our case before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS),” said the security official.

He also said the legal approach in resolving the maritime dispute is what the country can do because the Constitution prohibits the use of force to settle territorial disputes.

But the security official was quick to point out the military is always ready to perform its mandate in defending the country’s sovereignty.

“We have a standing case before ITLOS against Beijing and we are looking forward that the ruling of the world body will be on our side,” he said.

Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Peter Paul Galvez, however, declined to issue any statement on China’s full-scale reclamation of four reefs, as shown by photographs published in The STAR.

Latest territorial monitoring of the West Philippine Sea showed four artificial islets have already surfaced out of the formerly obscure Burgos, Mabini, Chigua and Cuarteron reefs, which China started reclaiming early this year.

Aerial monitoring also showed the four artificial islets are now accommodating heavy construction equipment and piles of construction materials as well as barges with booms.