Aquino calls for Cabinet meeting Thursday to discuss conflict with China

President Benigno Aquino III. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—President Aquino is scheduled  to meet with his entire Cabinet on Thursday afternoon—the second full Cabinet meeting in a span of one week—to discuss the dispute with China over territories in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Asked if the President would also call a meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council and the National Security Council to discuss the West Philippine Sea issues, his spokesperson, Edwin Lacierda said: “It will be discussed by President Aquino with his Cabinet officials and we will see from there… We have consulted with congressional leaders on occasion. So we will let you know, we will let them know.”

Ricky Carandang, the presidential communications secretary, said on Tuesday that it was important for the entire Cabinet discuss the territorial issues.

“There’s no specific particular pressing issue. But I think if you look at the way the Philippines-China dynamic has evolved over the last few months… there’s defense, there’s political, there’s economic, there’s all kinds of factors now that are being thrown into the mix,” Carandang said in an earlier news briefing.

“And the President has met with the economic cluster about these issues. He has met with the security cluster about these issues. He has met with DFA. So when the whole Cabinet comes together, then they can be discussed in a broader context,” he added.

President Aquino last met his Cabinet on Friday last week to discuss the two-trillion-peso budget for 2013. That meeting is set from 1:30 p.m. to past 8 p.m.