2 solons to Duterte: Protest China’s militarization of South China Sea

AERIAL IMAGES Two Xian Y-7 Chinese military transport planes were spotted on Panganiban Reef (Mischief Reef) in these enlarged surveillance photos taken last Jan. 6 and given to the Inquirer by a source. It is believed to be the first known presence of military aircraft on the artificial island within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. Security experts say fighter planes are likely to be deployed there eventually.

Two lawmakers are urging President Rodrigo Duterte to file a diplomatic protest against China’s latest “provocative” action amid fresh reports of China’s continuous militarization of the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea).

An Inquirer exclusive report on Wednesday bared that two Chinese military transport planes have been photographed on Panganiban Reef– internationally known as Mischief Reef.

According to the report, this is the first documented presence of this type of aircraft in Philippine territory in the South China Sea, raising the prospect that China will be basing warplanes there.

READ: China military planes land on PH reef

In a statement, Magdalo party-list Rep. Gary Alejano warned that Filipinos should not be deceived by China’s pronouncements that it would not militarize the region as it did not reclaim the Panganiban Reef for nothing.

“The construction of a military grade airstrip there is not for display only. It is a matter of time before the Chinese deploy their fighter aircrafts in their reclaimed islands as part of their strategic objective of controlling SCS (South China Sea). We should not be deceived by China’s pronouncements that it will not militarize SCS,” he added.

The lawmaker said Filipinos should “continuously and persistently call out such move that destabilizes the region.”

“I am hoping that Duterte file a diplomatic protest this time around unlike before where government officials were reduced to spokespersons of China by justifying Chinese aggressive actions in SCS,” he also said.

For his part, Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate said the government “should protest this provocative Chinese action.”

He said China was “obviously flexing its military muscle and endangering the fragile peace in the West Philippine Sea.”

Zarate also pointed out that China’s move is a clear violation of the ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague and is a way of asserting its contempt of the court as well as its dominance in the area.

“The Duterte administration should be taken to task for not doing anything on this blatant violation of our sovereignty. The Philippine government should not take this sitting down,” he added.

In July 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled Beijing’s claim to almost the entire South China Sea as invalid.

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