Lorenzana backs move vs China’s rescue center in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, Philippines — The government should question China’s building of a maritime rescue center at Kagitingan Reef in the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said yesterday.

While such a facility could help Filipino fishermen, Lorenzana said the Department of Foreign Affairs should still file a diplomatic protest.

“A lot of things have been said about that rescue station or maritime rescue station. Initially, I said what’s wrong with the rescue station. Anyway that’s for humanitarian purposes. Maybe it could also help Filipinos who are stranded, or distressed in the sea,” Lorenzana said.

“But I agree with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs (Teodoro Locsin Jr.) that we should protest, only because we don’t want them to keep on building things there that will become permanent. It will become theirs,” he said, referring to China.

Lorenzana said filing a diplomatic protest would put on record the Philippines’ continuing claim in the area.

“We just protest to let them know that any development that they continue to do there is protested by us, because we believe that Mischief Reef, Fiery Cross and all those islands that they have built within our exclusive economic zone are under our EEZ and they belong to us,” Lorenzana said.