Town mayor in Palawan asserts claim in Spratlys despite 'new' Chinese city

The mayor of a 34-year-old Philippine town in the province of Palawan asserted Wednesday his authority over some of the disputed Spratly Islands, where China is presently forming a "new city." Kalayaan (Palawan) mayor Eugenio Bito-onon Jr. said Filipinos started to settle in the islands in 1978, while China is forming the government of its Sansha City there only now. "Yung ating local government matagal na, 34 years na. Ako ay Filipino citizen, ang Kalayaan ay part ng Pilipinas, so sa Pilipinas tayo nagre-report," Bito-onon said in an interview on dzBB radio. Last June, China's State Council approved the establishment of Sansha, a prefecture-level city. It will administer over 200 islets, sandbanks and reefs in the Xisha (islets and islands up north), Zhongsha (Paracel near Vietnam) and Nansha Islands (Spratlys). A news article posted on the Chinese government portal said China has started forming the legislative body of Sansha, officially beginning the creation of the government of the newly established city. The city includes part of the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea. Smallest town In the dzBB interview, Bito-onon said his administrative jurisdiction covers 95 islands, shoals, reefs and atolls but some areas there have already been occupied by Vietnam, China, and Malaysia. Of the 95 islands, he said only 41 are occupied. But he said he hopes the Philippines and China can come up with an "agreement on cooperation and (harmonious) co-existence." Bito-onon said the town, a fifth-class municipality, has only one village – Barangay Pag-asa, in the island with the same name. It has a population of "250-plus," he added. "(We are) the smallest town in the Philippines," the mayor said. But he also admitted there is no government office on the island, although the residents in the town are all Filipinos. The municipality maintains a liaison office in Puerto Princesa City, the provincial capital. The mayor said the local government is developing fisheries and tourism. "Minsan kung maubusan ng tubig ang mga mangingisdang Tsino, nanghihingi sila ng tubig," he said. "Hindi sila nagtatagal doon." — LBG, GMA News