‘HINDI TAYO NAKIKIPAG-AWAY’

Robredo calls on gov't to assert sovereignty amid Chinese presence in reefs

Vice President Leni Robredo on Sunday urged the national government to assert the country's sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea after the Chinese government brushed aside the Defense Department's call for Chinese militia vessels surrounding the Julian Felipe Reef to withdraw.

"Hindi tayo nakikipag-away, pero ang pinakapunto lang kung ano iyong atin ipagtanggol natin kasi iyon nga ang sinasabi, Ka Ely, itong lugar na ito ay bahagi ng EEZ (exclusive economic zone) natin. Dahil bahagi siya ng EEZ natin, karapatan ng ating mga mangingisda na mag-fish doon. Gamitin iyong resources doon," said Robredo on her Sunday radio program.

(We are not starting a war but for me we should defend ourselves, because the reef is within our EEZ. Because it is a part of our EEZ, our fishermen have the right to fish there, to use the resources there.)

"Walang karapatan ang ibang bansa na mag-set-up ng mga military installations doon," she added.

(Other countries have no right to set up military installations.)

She further asked the leadership to "act accordingly" in defending the country's rights as she lauded the Foreign Affairs Department and Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana for doing their part to speak up against China.

"Ako, Ka Ely, nasa leadership natin iyan, kung gaano niya paninindigan iyong ating soberanya. Ako... Parang source of comfort sa akin na nagbigay ng strong statement si Secretary Lorenzana, kasi para sa akin, pagpapakita na hindi natin igi-give up ang ating sovereignty," she said.

(It is in our leadership on how we will assert our sovereignty. Our source of comfort is Lorenzana's statement because for me it shows that we are not giving up our sovereignty.)

"Actually kahit ang DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs), Ka Ely, last week pa nagpadala na ng diplomatic protest," Robredo added.

(Even the DFA filed a diplomatic protest last week.)

In a strongly-worded statement, Lorenzana called on China to pull out its remaining 44 militia vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef, the boomerang-shaped feature located 175 nautical miles of Bataraza, Palawan which is within the country's EEZ. In early March, there were about 200 ships near the Reef.

But China's Embassy in the Philippines dismissed Lorenzana's call to remove the ships, which the embassy claimed were "not militia vessels." Instead, the embassy said the reef was part of China's Nansha Islands or Spratlys in the South China Sea.

Lorenzana responded by renewing the country's call to end illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea.

Days ago, the Palace assured the public that China's boats would leave the Philippine reef because of their ties with the Philippines.

Aside from the Chinese ships, the Philippine military said some illegal man-made structures believed to be established by China were found at the Pagkakaisa Banks. — DVM, GMA News