Phl won’t protest presence of concrete blocks in Panatag

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines will no longer protest the presence of concrete blocks in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said yesterday.

“We don’t have a determination of facts,” he said, when asked about the change of plan.

“I think you have two opposing views. The Philippines’ view is that there are concrete blocks there, except that we don’t know how it got there, when it got there and who put it there. The Chinese view is that there are no concrete blocks. There are only rocks. So there you are,” he added. 

He said the government believes the issue can be addressed with the conclusion of the arbitration case on the West Philippine Sea.

Manila brought its case to the United Nations in January.

“In an interview of the Wall Street Journal of our lead counsel in the US, he believes that without China’s participation – if they still refuse to participate – the award will come down faster,” Del Rosario said.

“In his estimate it is possible that the award may come down by 2014. Our hope is that it comes down while the President is still in office,” he said. 

The President on Wednesday said the concrete blocks in Panatag Shoal do not pose a threat to freedom of navigation and should not be taken as a sign that the country had lost sovereignty over the area.

Last month, Navy chief Vice Adm. Jose Luis Alano said officials are discussing the possibility of removing the concrete blocks believed to have been placed by China.

He also stressed the country has not lost Panatag Shoal even if concrete blocks believed to be foundations of a Chinese structure are already in the area.

“What the Philippines has done is to address this through the international tribunal and this is now up to the international community to discuss the issues,” he said.