THERE’S not much that the government can do to drive away the Chinese vessels swarming the West Philippine Sea, says National Security Adviser Secretary Hermogenes Esperon.
At the Laging Handa public briefing, Esperon said that their hands are tied in view of other claimants.
“Kaya lang ‘yung sinasabi ko na ‘yung EEZ, ‘yung ating exclusive economic zone, ay contested ‘yan ng China, Vietnam, at Malaysia,” said Esperon, citing the Mischief Reef, where artificial islands were constructed by China to assert its territorial claim.
He likewise echoed President Rodrigo Duterte’s previous statement putting the blame on the previous administration, to which he claims failed to secure the sovereign maritime region.
“Yun nga mismo ang sinabi ng Pangulo, that if we take it back, all of that happened in 2013 and 2016. We lost Bajo De Masinloc or Panatag or Scarborough when China took it in 2012,” added Esperon.
He, however, assured the public that the Philippine government has already deployed the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources vessels and the Philippine Coast Guard to enforce fisheries laws within the EEZ.
He also warded off claims by retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio that China has “seized” the Sandy Cay.
“Masabi ko rin na ‘yung sinasabi ni Justice Carpio na nawala natin ang Sandy Cay, hindi totoo ‘yun. ‘Yun ay parte ng Pag-asa Island na kung saan ay meron tayong detachment ng civilian at military. At ‘yung Pag-asa Island na kung saan ay may airport tayo, ay merong Sandy Cay na apat, at ‘yun ay binabantayan natin. Ni minsan magmula noong 2016 ay wala tayong nawawalang isla na kinuha ng China. Mali si Justice Carpio. Fake news ‘yung sinasabi niya, false news,” Esperon, a retired general of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, further averred.