Aside from China, 3 countries have features inside Philippines' EEZ

Aside from China, other countries are occupying features inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.  These are Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia, according to Sandra Aguinaldo’s report on “24 Oras” from an interview with security analysis Professor Rommel Banlaoi.

The Philippines occupies nine islands in the West Philippine Sea and the Kalayaan Island Group -- eight of which are real islands and one is the Ayungin Shoal.

The Ayungin Shoal is where the BRP Sierra Madre, which serves as an outpost for the Philippine military, is anchored.

Among the Philippines' occupied territories, only the Pag-Asa island is developed with its own runway while others have small structures.

Meanwhile, the seven islands occupied by China are all artificial islands developed from reefs and rock formations. Some of these have runways.

Vietnam has also developed its occupied feature.

In the West Philippine Sea, Vietnam has occupied 11 territories. Malaysia and Brunei also has territories within the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“‘Wag nating isipin na tayo lang ang nandyan. ‘Yung one star na ‘yan ay Vietnamese position ‘yan. Labing apat ang nasa loob ng EEZ natin tapos may pito pa sila, diyan sa loob pa rin ng Kalayaan Island na boundary,” Secretary Hermogenes Esperon Jr., the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) chairman, said.

(Let's not assume that we're the only ones there. That one star is a Vietnamese position. There are 14 within our EEZ and they have 7 others within the Kalayaan Island boundary.)

“Ang China naman, ‘yan, makikita mo diyan ‘yung pitong isla nila ngayon na artificial islands lahat ‘yan. Meron pa nga diyan ang Malaysia, lima. So it’s not a walk in the park,” he added.

(Meanwhile, we can see the 7 artificial islands of China. Malaysia also has five. So it's not a walk in the park.)

Focus on China

According to Banlaoi, the focus on China is due to the volume of China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea in the past years.

“Kasi China constructed seven artificial islands within the Kalayaan Island Group and China also deployed more than 300 paramilitary vessels in the area,” he said.

“So those actions are so big that it will dwarf the actions of other claimants,” he added.

Banlaoi said that the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei are all members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He said this is why it could be said the countries have a closer relationship with each other.

The said countries have also not occupied any new territories, unlike China.

“[W]alang bagong occupation ‘yung Vietnam [Vietnam has done any occupation recently]. Vietnam and the Philippines have an understanding that they have bigger problem to face and that is China,” he said.

Despite this, Banlaoi said Vietnam has developed its occupied territory. Though the Philippines has developed the Pag-Asa, it is small compared to the development done by other countries.—Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News