Recto to Duterte: Use political capital to stop China from militarizing WPS

MILITARY OUTPOST This latest surveillance photo shows China’s military outpost on Zamora Reef is almost finished. CNBC has reported that China has deployed anti shipmissiles and surface-to-air missile systems on Zamora and two other Philippine claimed reefs.

President Rodrigo Duterte should leverage his “warm personal relationship” with Chinese leaders in convincing them to “cease-and-desist” from militarizing the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea/WPS), Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said on Friday.

Recto said Duterte has to take advantage of whatever political capital he has with Beijing in asking it to honor its pledge to keep the WPS a zone of peace and freedom of navigation.

“The President should leverage his warm personal relationship with Chinese leaders in convincing them to cease-and-desist from militarizing the illegally-reclaimed islands in the West Philippine Sea,” he said in a statement.

The senator’s statement comes after the reported installation of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on Kagitingan, Zamora, and Panganiban reefs – three of the seven reefs claimed by the Philippines that China had seized and transformed into artificial islands.

READ: China deploys missiles on 3 PH-claimed reefs

Citing United States intelligence sources, US-based news agency CNBC reported on Thursday that the missiles were moved to Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef within the past 30 days.

Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef are the international names of Kagitingan, Zamora, and Panganiban reefs, respectively.

READ: What China’s reported missiles in Spratlys mean for PH

Recto said the President could serve as a “peacemaker” in asking all major powers to de-escalate tension in the area, prevent it from being a flashpoint, stressing that the “country will never benefit from any brawl that might break out right in our own backyard.”

The senator also acknowledged that the reported installation of weapons in the islands seems to “give credence” to the global suspicion that China aims to build a string of military fortresses.

But he noted that nations “cannot defuse tension in one place in Asia only to heighten it in another,” especially with the recent positive steps to denuclearize the Korean Peninsula.  /muf