Navy expresses concern over planned Chinese development in strategic islands

The Navy on Monday raised concern over the reported plan by Chinese investors to develop three strategic islands of the Philippines into economic hubs.

According to Navy spokesman Captain Jonathan Zata, the Navy does not oppose the plan as long as the maritime and security implications of having Fuga, Grande and Chiquita islands would be considered.

Zata said that the Philippine government's security forces should have access to these strategic islands if the plan to allow foreigners to develop them would prosper.

"Ang importante we would be having access to these locations when exigencies come and emergency. The security of the nation is of paramount importance... The AFP, Air Force, Army and Navy would have access to these different islands and islets," Zata said.

"We have learned lessons in the past na there were features that were not, dahil nga limitado capability natin, hindi natin nabantayan ng maayos and we are trying to avoid any similar situation na wala na tayong magagawa," he added.

Zata said the Navy had been informed of the plan to convert the islands into economic hubs "just a couple of months ago."

He said that there should be a balance between national security and economy.

Zata said Fuga, which is an island north of Luzon and part of the Babuyan Archipelago, houses telecommunications cables while the islands of Grande and Chiquita, which are located at the mouth of Subic Bay, were previously used as a "defense perimeter of Americans" in the 1990s.

"It’s significance is not only economic but more importantly 'yun nga 'yung maritime strategic security nito... So those are the things na hina-highlight ng Navy na please consider na these important features, locations are essential in maintaining our strategic maritime security," Zata said.

"We’re calling their attention na please consider the security implication of these islands or of these locations should the national government or higher leadership desires or decides to convert it into something more useful than its current state," he added. —NB, GMA News