Cayetano: Gov't won't give up a single inch of PHL territory

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday assured that the Philippine government will not give up even an inch of the country's territory.

This, amid reports that China has invaded the Sandy Cay near the Pag-asa Island.

"The stand of the Duterte administration has been consistent which is to uphold out territorial claims, to uphold our claims for sovereignty or our economic rights," Cayetano said in an ambush interview at the House of Representatives.

"We're not giving up a single inch of our territory," he added.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has claimed that Chinese vessels are occupying the sandbar near Pag-asa Island at the West Philippine Sea.

Cayetano, however, denied such situation.

"That's not true. And as I said, the NSA (National Security Adviser) Secretary Esperon has also come out to deny that happened," he added.

In a meeting with reporters at Malacanang on Monday night, President Rodrigo Duterte himself said that there was no need to defend Sandy Cay as there was no actual invasion to prevent.

“China assured me that they will not build anything there. I called the Ambassador nung nabasa ko. He said, ‘We will assure you that we are not building anything there,’” Duterte said, referring to Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua.

Freedom of navigation

During the interview, Cayetano noted that the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) applies to all countries.

"You can't, on one hand, argue for UNCLOS, on the other hand, say na hindi okay ang UNCLOS. Kasi sa UNCLOS, lahat may freedom of navigation, including the Chinese," he said.

"So hindi natin pwedeng sabihin na okay lang kapag Amerikano o Australiyano, or EU (European Union) will pass there kasi freedom of navigation. Pero yung Chinese, sandali lang hindi kayo pwede. UNCLOS applies for everybody," he added.

Last week, Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano said the current situation near the Pag-asa Island is not even comparable to the freedom of navigation US ships are conducting.

Cayetano had questioned Alejano why he is not concerned about the US doing freedom of navigation, just because they are "allies."

"US is our long-time ally and is not involved, whatsoever, in island grabbing in South China Sea. Unlike China which has the history of grabbing islands and harassing our fishermen. That is entirely two different things," he said.

Cayetano, however, assured that the department will inform the public if there a cause of concern or alarm in the situation at the West Philippine Sea.

"So let me assure na despite the lack of details that we give you, we will tell you if there is an alarming situation, or if the public is in danger, or if we are going take or step up certain actions that needs the public's support or knowledge," he said.

"But yung day to day [na nangyayari], we're putting up actions. But it's not true that diplomatic actions are not being done," he added. —ALG, GMA News