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Defense chief denies

China'scare tactics'
By Nat Mariano
THE report that 600 Chinese vessels
had allegedly been circling Pag-asa ls-
land in the West Philippine Sea since
January this year was just an "exagger-
ated claim," an omcial said Sunday.
Defense Secrctaxy Delfin Lorenza-
na said the Westem Command of the
Armed Forces ofthe Philippines "never
said" that hundreds of Chinese vessels
were navigating around the Philippine-
claimed Pag-asa Island.
"That Fepoft] is according to the re-
porter who was there in Puerto Princesa
during rhe RPOC fRegional Peace and
Order Councill meeting," Lorenzana
told the.Manila Standard. Nert page

vessels to sustain China's assertive prcs- raise maritime issues in the disputed wa-
Defense... ence in the vicinity ofthe sandban," Fac- ters with China during his coming visit io
Frcm Al tor told ABS-CBN News. Beijing next month for the 2nd Belt and '

Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles said Road Forum.

He Inade the statement even as an ana-
lyst wamed Sunday the Chinese vessels
that had been circling Pag-asa Island in
the West Philippine Sea were part of the
intimidation tactics meanno give Beijing
control ofthe strategic waterway.
The Philippine military on Friday ex-
pressed alarm at the presence of some
600 Chinese vessels near the sandbar.
"They have been a critical part of Chi-
nese intimidation around the Senkaku
Islands in the South China Se4?' said
retired US Navy captain Carl Schustel
former director of the US ?acific Com-
mand's joint inrclligence c€ntet
In a repoit by ABS-CBN News, AFP
Wesiem Command chief Elpidio Factor
said "the foreign vessels monitored in
Pag-asa Island were all Chinese fishing
vessels deployed in'the vicinity of the
sandbar."
"These vessels are considered Chinese
maritime militia and are occasionally
complemented by Chinese Coast Guard
the public should await the inlti*findings
ofa Cabinet cluster about the matter.
. "I think we should await the findings of
the cluster to know lhe truth about it and
know what are.the recommendations of
the Presidenl. Nograles told reporiers in
Romblon on Sunday.
'We should await the rccommendations
ofthe Presiclenl But ofcoruse, there are dip
lomatic procedures that we need to follow
and we will have to run tlnough the process
of the Departrnent of For€ignAtrairs."
Lorenzana said Malacafrang would re-
ject the report.
"lPresidential Spokesman Salvador]
Panelo will conduct a presscon tomorrow continue to assert conhol in the Pag-asa
to clari& everything and to debunk this Island sandba$ despite the 'friendly' re-
exaggerated claim, Loranzana said.
This recent development came follolv:
ing a report that a Chinese coast guard
vessel allegedly harassed Filipino fisher-
men in Scarborough Shoal.
The Palace then expressed the possibil-
ity that President Rodrigo Duterte might
Senatorial candidate Gary Alejano crit-
icized the Duterte administation follow-
ing the issue, lambasting the govemment
for its alleged failure to act on his wam-
ings about the presence of Chinese ves-
sels neax Pag-asa Island in the contested
watefs.
"The govemment has been wamed two
yeaxs ago, but [the] President and his co-
horts only downplayed the incidents. Not
once did the President take seriously the
issue of China taking away our territory
and abusing our fisheimen and soldiers,"
Alejano said in a statement.
*As I haVe said before, China will
lations that the administration is trying to
foster," Atejano said
''The sandbars are crilical to China's
claim on the Subi Reet If Chita seizes
Sandy Cay, they wilt be able to claim
Subi Reef as part of tbe territorial sea of
Sandy Cay.'

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