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PHL knew about China structures in PHL reefs ‘from the start’ —NSA


The government knew about the apparent Chinese air and naval installations in seven reefs claimed by the Philippines "from the start", National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said on Tuesday.

Esperon made the remark a day after news reports and photographs indicated that China had built military facilities in the reefs claimed by the country.

"We have had those photos several months back. Right from the start,” Esperon told reporters.

Esperon said the government had been looking at an "array of options" to address the matter, including the filing of diplomatic protest with China and deploying more troops in the disputed waters.

"War must be the last option," Esperon said adding that the South China Sea issue was not the "sum total" of the Philippines' relations with China.

Esperon said the Philippine side was studying the structures that China had built.

"What are the purpose(s) of those structures? They could be for civilian use but we should look to possibilities that they could be used against us. If they are for military use, that is something we should look into," Esperon said.

A newspaper report on Monday said Beijing had almost finished transforming the seven reefs claimed by Manila into military bases.

Commenting on the photos, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque blamed the Aquino administrationfor allegedly not doing anything to stop Beijing's building activities.

It was the Aquino administration took China to the arbitration court and won a favorable ruling that invalidated in 2016 China's historical claims in the area.

Roque said the Philippines would continue to hold on to China's promise that it would not reclaim new islands in the resource-rich region. —NB, GMA News

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