Pimentel: Senate should probe China’s missile installations in Spratlys

Senate President Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III on Sunday said the upper chamber should conduct a probe into reports that China has installed missile systems in three Philippine-claimed territories in the South China Sea.

"Senate foreign relations committee should first find out what really is happening," Pimentel said in a statement.

He said the committee should also hold a closed-door briefing with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to determine what it indents to do with China's latest movement in the highly contested South China Sea.

The US has raised concerns with China's installation of anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missile systems on Fiery Cross Reef, Subi Reef and Mischief Reef in the Spratly Islands.

The three Spratlys reefs are all claimed by the Philippines. Taiwan and Vietnam also claim the territories along with China.

The three reefs are named by the Philippines Kagitingan Reef (Fiery), Panganiban Reef (Mischief) and Zamora Reef (Subi).

US news network CNBC reported that the missile systems were installed in the past 30 days.

In a Super Radyo dzBB interview, former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay said the Senate must launch a probe into China's militarization in the contested territories.

Hilbay pointed out that China has no right to install missile systems on the three reefs.

"Wala silang (China) karapatan sa area na 'yun dahil sa atin 'yung Mischief Reef, wala silang karapatan na mag-reclaim sa area na 'yun," he said.

Hilbay reminded that China assured that it is only building shelters for fishermen and its reclamation projects on the three islands are for "peaceful purposes" and "non-military."

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano said on Saturday night said diplomatic actions are already being done to address the supposed militarization of the contested territories in the South China Sea.

Cayetano also acknowledged that China's recent move is of "grave concern" for the Philippines given the country's territorial and sovereignty rights claims in the area, but explained that there are also multiple claimants.

"Many of the claimants have features that they hold and have installations here, iba-iba yung nature. Then you have the West having their Navies sail through the area. Ito'y hindi maso-solve ng Pilipinas at ng China lamang," Cayetano said.

"It's not just between the Philippines and China. It's between China and the neighbors in the region. It's between the claimants and non-claimants. It's between the claimants and the non-regional players," he added. —Anna Felicia Bajo/ALG, GMA News