Philippines insists on sovereign rights amid China’s claim of ‘illegal provocations’ in WPS

The Philippines on Monday insisted that it has sovereign rights over some features in the disputed West Philippine Sea after Beijing urged Manila to stop “illegal provocations” in the area.

China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian earlier said the Philippines violated China's sovereignty and security by sending military aircraft into airspace adjacent to islands and reefs being occupied by China.

This was in response to Manila’s diplomatic protest which slammed China’s “continuing illicit issuances of radio challenges to Philippine aircraft conducting “legitimate regular maritime patrols” in the West Philippine Sea,  which is a portion of the South China Sea.

“Siguro po opinyon ng Tsina ‘yan pero tayo po patuloy tayong nagpapalipad ng mga supplies papunta po sa Kalayaan [Group of Islands] at patuloy tayo nagkakaroon ng overflights diyan po sa Bajo de Masinloc [Scarborough Shoal],” presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said in a briefing when asked to comment on Zhao’s remarks.

“We maintain also that it’s part of our sovereignty or our sovereign rights.”

Roque reiterated that President Rodrigo Duterte would never give up an “inch” of Philippine territory.

“Consistent naman po ang ating Presidente, he will not give even an inch of our national territory or sovereign rights to any other state,” he said.

But the Palace official maintained that the Philippines would proceed with its bilateral relations with China, especially on matters related to trade and investment.

China claims a huge swathe of the South China Sea as part of its territory, but the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated this claim in July 2016 following a case filed by the Philippines in 2013.

Beijing does not recognize the ruling.—AOL, GMA News