AFP: Soldiers in Spratlys still in 'high spirits' despite order to halt construction in Phl-held areas

MANILA, Philippines - The suspension of construction works in Philippine-held areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) would not affect military troop rotation and re-supply efforts, an official said on Monday.

Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said soldiers assigned to the Spratlys Islands remain in high spirits and are committed to protect the country’s territory with what they have.

“Practically, there is no effect as of now. We can continue on with our re-supply operations and the logistics run including the transport of troops,” Cabunoc said.

“We are known as resilient people. Our soldiers can continue performing their mandate with the current equipment and facilities that they have,” he added.

Cabunoc was asked to react to President Aquino’s decision to put on hold the improvement projects in the Spratly Islands, the subject of a territorial row in the region.

In a budget hearing at the Senate last week, defense officials said the president had ordered the suspension of the construction works to avoid affecting the Philippines’s case against China.

The Philippines halted the construction projects even as there are no signs that China will stop the building of structures, including military facilities, in some of the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

“We know that this has a higher purpose and we respect whatever decision we have to make in order to ensure that we can peacefully settle this territorial dispute,” Cabunoc said.

Defense department spokesman Peter Galvez said the government is maintaining “a moral high ground” when it decided to maintain the status quo in the Philippine-occupied areas.

“We have always maintained that all parties involved in the issue do all they can to ease tensions in the West Philippine Sea such as maintaining the status quo in all the islands,” Galvez said.

“We will follow this track for as long as needed to ease tensions and avoid any miscalculation,” he added.

One of the projects that were put on hold was the repair of the dilapidated airstrip in Pag-asa, which would have made the area more accessible to bigger air assets. With the repair of the Pag-asa airstrip suspended, the military would continue using naval assets for the re-supply operations.

“We will use our naval assets to carry out this logistics run. There are also instances wherein the Naval Air Group is tasked to drop supplies when necessary,” Cabunoc said.

Last year, the Philippines contested China’s territorial claim before an international tribunal of the United Nations, calling it “exaggerated” and contrary to international law.

The Philippines has also called on China to desist from unlawful activities that violate its sovereign rights and jurisdiction. China has ignored the Philippines’ protests and insisted that the dispute be settled through bilateral negotiations.

China has been improving the structures it built in the areas it occupied in the Spratlys region.

It has built a garrison in Panganiban (Mischief) Reef off Palawan and is believed to be conducting reclamation in Mabini (Johnson South) Reef, Calderon (Cuarteron) and Gaven Reefs, areas that are within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.