THE Philippines would file a diplomatic protest against China, if it is proven true that Beijing has continued to step up its military capabilities in the contested West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), Malacañang said on Monday, November 5.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said the Duterte administration will look into the report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP) that China has opened weather observation stations on three of its artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea.
Panelo assured that the government, through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), would act on SCMP's report.
"We have to get confirmation of that since that is merely a news report. Certainly, the DFA will do its work and make the necessary diplomatic protest," Panelo told Palace reporters.
"Again, these are news reports. We have not validated it. But if they are validated, I'm sure the new Secretary of Foreign Affairs will do his job," he added.
China has installed new weather stations on the Fiery Cross (Kagitingan), Subi (Zamora), and Mischief (Panganiban) reefs in the contested Spratly Islands, according to a report by the SCMP that came out on November 1, Thursday.
The SCMP claimed that the new stations, which have equipment for basic ground and atmospheric observation as well as weather radars, "could also be used for military purposes."
China, which has extensive claims over resource-rich West Philippine Sea, has continued improving its defense capabilities in the disputed waters.
In May this year, China allegedly deployed anti-ship cruise missiles and surface-to-air missiles on Fiery Cross, Subi, and Mischief reefs.
China's constructions on the three reefs have seemingly become relentless, despite its mended ties with the Duterte government and the issuance of The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration's 2016 ruling.
On July 12, 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands favored the Philippines' petition invalidating Beijing's extensive claims to the busy waterway of the South China Sea.
President Rodrigo Duterte, however, has repeatedly refused to take a stronger stance against China's continued militarization of the contested waters by insisting on the arbitral ruling.
Duterte, instead, has sought to negotiate with China in a diplomatic initiative.
Panelo said Filipinos should let the President wait for the "perfect time" to assert the Philippines' historic legal victory.
"We'll have to leave it with the President's judgment on when and where the perfect time would be made. He has six years to do it. We are still only coming on the half of his term," the Palace official said.
"The arbitration award will be there forever... It can never be too late when you protest on a particular thing, especially when the award is yours," he added. (SunStar Philippines)