Philippines aware of serious situation in disputed seas – Palace

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines has long been aware of China’s menacing actions in the West Philippine Sea and has repeatedly sounded the alarm when the Asian power began its island-building activities, Malacañang said yesterday.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte made the remarks over dzRB in reaction to US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter’s statement that the Chinese have created a “very serious situation” in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

In his statement, Carter also asked China and other countries with claims in disputed waters to “permanently” stop further militarization in the region.

“You will have to look to China to get a response” to Carter’s statement, Valte said. “But we have always expressed our concern on the reclamation that is being done; and, in fact, that is one of the points that we raised, not just on the matter of the maritime dispute, but also the impact on the environment that the reclamation has in our arbitration case,” she pointed out.

Carter said other countries were involved in construction activities on land features that they were claiming “but China is by far and away the one that has done the most, especially in the last year.”