Expert: Phl repairs in Spratlys facilities 'most benign' among claimants

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines' minor repairs and upgrades on its facilities on the islands it claims in the contested South China Sea should not worry other countries, a maritime law expert said.

Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said the long-delayed repairs of the dilapidated runway in Pag-asa Island and the limited developmental projects on smaller military outposts within the Kalayaan Group of Islands are “relatively minor” compared to the activities of other countries.

In November 2017, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana disclosed that the Philippines had stopped construction on what would have been shelters for fishermen on a newly formed sandbar in the part of the South China Sea that it claims and calls the West Philippine Sea.

"We tried to put some structures in one of the sandbars near our island and the Chinese reacted," Lorenzana told a diplomatic and security forum in Manila, adding that Duterte later ordered, "Let's pull out."

Both countries agreed not to occupy new features.

But, Batongbacal said in an interview on ANC on Sunday: "these activities in Pag-asa Island are simply repairs. They don’t really change anything in a major way in Pag-asa Island.” 

The maritime expert noted that such developments should not pose a major concern to other nations.

A senior security official, who asked not to be named, on Saturday confirmed that repairs of Rancudo Airfield in Pag-asa Island are now underway after the Asian Maritime Transparency Initiative showed satellite imagery of the said repairs.

READ: Philippines repairs Spratlys runway

Aside from the airstrip repairs, minor upgrades were made to facilities on Thitu, where at least seven new buildings have been constructed.

According to the think tank, there were also little improvements seen at Commodore Reef (Rizal) and Loaita Cay (Panata Island). Meanwhile, an empty field at Nanshan Island (Lawak) has been converted into a helipad.  

“The Philippines is just maintaining its facilities. In a way, it is really the most benign of all the countries and we are the ones exercising the most self-restraint at this point,” Batongbacal said.

He added: “I think the Philippines should be commended for keeping the situation in that way and restraining itself in a way that is [in] accord really with international law.”