MANILA, Philippines – The Department of National Defense (DND) is verifying reports that China has erected a new structure in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea and ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to conduct aerial reconnaissance.
“We are going to verify this, but apparently these are old structures. So we are going to verify this just to be sure, we are going to send reconnaissance flight there,†DND spokesman Eduardo Batac told defense reporters in a press briefing.
The surveillance was ordered following reports the Chinese have built a lighthouse at Subi Reef, well within inside the disputed areas claimed by the Philippines, China and Vietnam.
The lighthouse was spotted during an aerial reconnaissance of the disputed area last October. The structure, built on a reef, is 20×20 meters in size and is equipped with parabolic antennas and a dome.
“These structures were there before the declaration of conduct of parties in the South China Sea in 2002 . . . so (these are)old structures. But in the meantime the decision or what we need (to do) is to verify this,†Batac explained.
The DND spokesman also said the lighthouse cannot be considered a military facility.
“That’s an aid to maritime navigation (but) it is also (a) means by which countries can lay claim to that kind of territories, it can be considered proof of ownership . . . but there are many who are claiming ownerships of these reefs and atolls in that area,†Batac said.
But if the reconnaissance does turn up evidence of new structures, Batac said the matter would be the jurisdiction of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“We’ll have to coordinate with DFA because anything that would require international relationships will have to be coursed through the DFA and we cannot do any unilateral action on that,†Batac said.
Meanwhile, the military is denying it was the source of the photographs of the allegedly new structures, which were posted on several online new sites Wednesday.
“It did not come from us, it’s not from our source . . . this one did not came from us,†Air Force spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Miguel Ernesto Okol told defense reporters.
However, he acknowledged they conduct regular reconnaissance over the disputed island chain, which is more than 500 kilometers west of Palawan and is reputed to be rich in mineral and gas resources.
Of all the claimants to the Spratlys, the Philippines has the weakest military.
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