Yasay dubbed the Philippines as “helpless” against China in the on-going installation of weapon systems in disputed islands at South China Sea
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. admitted that the Philippines practically remains helpless in stopping China from installing weapons systems on the disputed islands in the South China Sea.
In an interview at Orchard Hotel, as part of the delegation to the two-day state visit of President Rodrigo Duterte in Singapore, Secretary Yasay said that despite the July ruling of the arbitral tribunal, backed by the United Nations (UN), China continues to develop and expand in the disputed islands in South China Sea, also called West Philippine Sea in the Philippines.
The Philippines cannot make any move to stop China, even as enforcing the decision remains a problem because the Communist state had earlier rejected the ruling, calling it a “farce”, and gets on with its expansion in the disputed territory.
But Secretary Yasay maintained that the Philippines will continue to pursue peaceful means to prevent altercations between the two claimant countries.
The DFA secretary said the Philippines will move forward in the future in terms of pursuing the enforcement of the decision of the international arbitral tribunal on the basis of their findings and conclusions.
However, he stressed that it was wiser for the Philippines to let other countries having “special concerns” on the activities of China to make a move.
Yasay cited the United States of America and Japan which had earlier raised concern on freedom of navigation and overflight operations.
The Philippines, according to Secretary Yasay, has its own bilateral engagement with China to make sure that there will be no further actions to be taken that would only raise the tension in the disputed area, specifically in the Panatag Shoal, also known the Scarborough Shoal.
He emphasized that it is necessary also as part of a confidence-building measure so that both countries can later go back to the issue on the dispute in the South China Sea, by way of a peaceful resolution.
Yasay admitted that the government had placed aside, in the meantime, the issue without compromising the rights of the Philippines as declared by the tribunal.
But Yasay’s words contrasted with that of Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Delfin Lorenzana’s pronouncements that the installation of weapons systems in the seven reefs at Spratly only raises a big concern for the Philippines and the international community who uses the South China Sea as lanes for their trade.
“It would mean that the Chinese are militarizing the area, which is not good”, said Secretary Lorenzana.