Philippines mulls protest over planes on Mischief reef

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang expressed support for the move of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to explore the filing of a diplomatic protest against China over its reported landing of military planes on a reef over which the Philippines has been awarded sovereign rights.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr. echoed the stand of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on the issue.

“(The) Secretary of Foreign Affairs has said that we are preparing and exploring the possibility of a diplomatic protest. We’ll leave it at that,” he said.

Roque yesterday said Beijing could have violated its standing promise not to conduct operations and reclaim more areas.

“They’re exploring the idea – possibility of a diplomatic protest. Obviously, if we consider a diplomatic protest, then you consider the other state to be in breach of an international obligation… somehow,” he said.

National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said he does not see China’s move as a threat but it should be a “matter of concern.”

He said the Philippine government is not turning a blind eye on what is happening there amid reports that China has landed military planes on Panganiban Reef.

Esperon said it’s no longer a surprise if there would be reports of China’s emplacements of surface or air assets on their occupied areas in the disputed region since Chinese soldiers are already deployed there.

“If there is, first of all we have to know what it is. After all they have landed there before,” Esperon said.

Esperon said they are verifying the reported landing of two Chinese aircraft on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef. He said the Philippine government is taking note of this as it intends to discuss the matter in the bilateral consultative meetings with China. 

“In other words we are not blind and deaf towards all of these,” he said.

When the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) released its ruling in favor of the Philippines, Esperon said there were reports that China has already landed planes in its occupied areas in the region.

Asked if this Chinese flying and landing of their aircraft over their occupied areas in the disputed region can be considered a threat to national security, Esperon said it is not.

“It’s not a threat but a matter of concern. First of all, it is not a national policy to go to war or use war as an instrument. Ours is for peaceful resolution of all conflict and we go for development,” he said.

He added Chinese activities in the South China Sea are not directed towards the occupation of the Philippines. 

Some lawmakers, however, sounded the alarm over what they said was the looming militarization of the maritime region by China.

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said the sighting of Chinese military planes at Panganiban Reef is a “cause for alarm” and the country’s security officials should act on this development.

Trillanes stressed security officials should come up with contingency plans on how to address these moves by China.

Trillanes noted the glaring refusal by the Duterte administration to take action against China.

“Mr. jet ski doesn’t want to act. He was so tough on this during the campaign but now he wants to make the country a province of China,” Trillanes said, referring to President Duterte’s campaign promise of riding a jet ski to the Spratly Islands to plant the Philippine flag there.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan said the government’s obliging attitude and behavior toward China was unacceptable.

“Is the Philippines becoming a barangay of China?” he remarked.

He said the President should have raised the sovereignty and security issues in his recent visit to China.

“Was this not discussed by our President when he visited China recently? What happened to the jet ski promise?” Pangilinan said.

Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino IV demanded transparency in the administration’s dealings with China.

“What else is the Philippines giving up to this new friendship? Shouldn’t we be defending our territory, especially for our fisherfolk?” Aquino said.

“The administration is squandering our victory at the Permanent Court of Arbitration,” he added.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros challenged Duterte to deport Chinese officials in the country for China’s illegal occupation of Philippine territory.

Panganiban Reef is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) which China grabbed in 1994.

The Philippines challenged China’s massive occupation in the region before the international court, winning the case in 2015.

“We have the ruling. We are keeping that. We are holding on to that, at a proper time, we will take and talk about it. Remember the sum total of our relations with China does not start and end within the West Philippine Sea or the South China Sea,” Esperon said.

Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, however, is tightlipped on the reported presence of Chinese aircraft on Panganiban Reef.

Carpio, a known critic of Chinese incursions in disputed territories, declined to comment when asked about his insights on the development in the Chinese-occupied feature.

“I don’t know the facts yet, really. I cannot comment,” he told reporters yesterday.

The magistrate was a member of the Philippine delegation that represented the country in its arbitration case against China during the previous administration.

Last year, he earned the ire of President Duterte when he said that the Philippines should file a diplomatic case against China over the continuing reclamation activities in the disputed territories.

Carpio, the most senior associate justice, is serving as acting chief magistrate after Maria Lourdes Sereno went on indefinite leave last month. - Marvin Sy, Jaime Laude