Wait for findings of Cabinet cluster regarding Chinese vessels near Pag-asa —Nograles

ROMBLON, Romblon - Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday said the public should await the findings of a Cabinet cluster regarding the presence of Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea.

"Siguro hintayin muna natin 'yung magiging findings ng Security, Justice and Peace cluster na binubuo ng ating internal and external security agencies to make an assessment kung ano ba 'yung katotohan diyan at ano 'yung magiging recommendations nila kay Pangulo pagdating ng panahon," Nograles told reporters in Romblon.

A media report said more than 600 Chinese vessels have circled Pag-asa island since the first month of 2019, citing the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Command.

If the report is true, Nograles said the Philippines will go with the diplomatic procedure to question the presence of Chinese vessels in Pag-asa.

"Hihintayin natin kung ano 'yung magiging recommendation nila sa Pangulo. Siyempre meron tayong diplomatic procedure rin na kailangan nating sundin and we will have to run through the process of the Department of Foreign Affairs," he said in Filipino.

The Security, Justice and Peace Cluster is composed of the Office of the Executive Secretary, Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense, Department of Justice, Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process and National Security Council.

In 2017, Senator Antonio Trillanes and Magdalo Representative Gary Alejano spoke about the presence of Chinese vessels in the sandbars of the same island. In the same year, Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI) of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a photo showing China ships fishing near Pag-asa Island.

"The government has been warned two years ago, but President [Rodrigo] Duterte and his cohorts only downplayed the incidents. Kailanman ay hindi sineryoso ng Pangulo ang usapin ng pang-aagaw ng China sa ating teritoryo at pang-aabuso sa ating mga mangingisda at sundalo," Alejano said in a statement on Saturday.

"As I have said before, China will continue to assert control in the Pag-asa Island sandbars despite the 'friendly' relations that the administration is trying to foster. The sandbars are critical to China’s claim of the Subi Reef. If China seizes Sandy Cay, they will be able to claim Subi Reef as part of the territorial sea of Sandy Cay," he added.

"While it is a positive development that the AFP is starting to be transparent on the real situation in the West Philippine Sea, I urge the Duterte administration to act on the rising number of Chinese vessels around Pag-asa Island and protest China’s illegal actions," Alejano added. —KG, GMA News