(AFP/Kayalaan Municipal office)
MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez on Friday said the government has plans to develop other features in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“Yes, absolutely,” Romualdez said when asked if the government has plans to develop sandbanks, cays, and other features in the WPS.
“We are looking at the totality, we are trying to see how we could further develop not just Pagasa [Island]…” he also said.
The Philippines occupies nine features in the KIG, namely: Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, Pagasa (Thitu) Island, Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Parola (Northeast Cay) Island, Patag (Flat) Island, Kota (Loaita) Island, Rizal (Commodore) Reef, Likas (West York) Island, and Panata (Lankiam Cay) Island.
Without going into specifics, Romualdez also said that there are plans to develop a certain feature in the KIG “to further buttress and support” the BRP Sierra Madre grounded in Ayungin Shoal.
The commissioned military ship has hosted a small contingent of military personnel since 1999 to assert the country’s claim on the low-tide elevation about 194 kilometers (105 nautical miles) off Palawan province or well within the country’s exclusive economic zone.
However, the resupply missions in this World War II-era ship are often harassed by Chinese vessels.
This year alone, China used military-grade lasers last February and a water cannon in August against Philippine vessels.
On Friday, a Chinese vessel again fired a water cannon to drive away a Philippine boat in a resupply mission.