Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON
The Philippines plans to send notice to the United States and China through their embassies to ask the two countries to inform them of their presence in its territory in the South China Sea.
“Kung ano ‘yung ginagawa sa area natin dapat malaman natin kasi meron na tayong rights dyan eh. Ang tawag dyan, exclusive economic zone. Ang sabi nyan, tayo lang ang may karapatang mag-exploit ng mga resources dyan,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana told reporters Tuesday.
The defense chief’s statement came after a recent incident in the Philippine territorial waters in the South China Sea where China seized an underwater drone of the US Navy.
Lorenzana said the incident is a matter between the two countries and should be settled by them to prevent similar incidents from happening again.
“Problema nilang dalawa ‘yan eh. Pero siguro one of these days, we will caution them na kung anong ginagawa sa West Philippine Sea ay magpaalam satin,” he said.
On Monday night, Lorenzana and President Rodrigo Duterte met with Chinese ambassador Zhao Jianhua but the South China Sea was not discussed.
Zhao offered P720 million worth of military aid and P25 billion worth of soft loan to help combat illegal drugs and terrorism. JE
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