News
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Joint exploration would waive PH rights over West Philippine Sea: Hilbay
MANILA—The Philippines would waive its rights over the West Philippine Sea should it agree to a joint oil and gas exploration with China, former solicitor general Florin Hilbay said Saturday. China vows to have ‘prudent’ oil exploration with Philippines China must recognize PH ownership of resources before joint exploration: Carpio “That’s rather blatantly unconstitutional. It’s against the decision in the…
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Philippines’ lacklustre fight in the South China Sea
Amid South China Sea dispute, President Rodrigo Duterte balks at pushing back after landmark maritime rights ruling. Manila, Philippines – “I cannot go to war with China,” says Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte whenever he is pressed about his country’s challenged sovereignty claim over a portion of the South China Sea. It’s the same line he told his Navy on its…
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China insists ‘inherent right’ to military activities in South China Sea
MANILA, Philippines — Responding to the Pentagon’s withdrawal of its invitation to participate in a multinational naval exercise, China justified its militarization of the disputed South China Sea. The US disinvited China to the 2018 Rim of the Pacific exercise in Hawaii as an “initial response” to Beijing’s increasing militarization in the region. “It is our inherent right as a…
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PH starts runway repair in Spratlys
The Philippines has finally started the long overdue repairs for the runway on Pagasa Island (Thitu) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Satellite images from May 17 show two barges anchored off the western edge of Pagasa’s “crumbling airstrip,” the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) said Saturday. “It appears that…
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PH starts runway repair in Spratlys
The Philippines has finally started the long overdue repairs for the runway on Pagasa Island (Thitu) in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). Satellite images from May 17 show two barges anchored off the western edge of Pagasa’s “crumbling airstrip,” the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies’ (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (Amti) said Saturday. “It appears that…
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Carpio: Chinese jets, bombers may soon land on Subi Reef near Pag-asa Island
MANILA – Acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio on Friday warned that Subi Reef (Zamora Reef) in the disputed Spratly Islands could soon see bombers and fighter jets landing on its runway. The magistrate, a foremost advocate of the Philippines’ claims in the South China Sea, said this in light of a recent report that the island is now home to…
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Protests Over, China Seen More Empowered to Militarize a Disputed Sea
TAIPEI — Beijing weathered only light protests against its reported missile installations in the Spratly Islands, making it easier to strengthen its military outposts in the disputed South China Sea, analysts say. Vietnam demanded May 8 that China remove any missiles but did not push further. The Philippines has “active mechanisms” to discuss militarization of the South China Sea but…
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Protests Over, China Seen More Empowered to Militarize a Disputed Sea TAIPEI — Beijing weathered only light protests against its reported missile installations in the Spratly Islands, making it easier to strengthen its military outposts in the disputed South China Sea, analysts say. Vietnam demanded May 8 that China remove any missiles but did not push further. The Philippines has…
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PH refusal to protest reef dev’t assailed
A maritime law expert on Thursday slammed the Duterte administration’s refusal to confront China in the South China Sea, saying the Philippines had already lost much because of the government’s cop-out. Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea, said that by saying he did not want to go to…
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US: We have strong evidence China deployed missiles, bombers in Spratlys
MANILA, Philippines — Citing strong evidence that Beijing has deployed weapons and jammers in the Spratly Islands, Washington called out Chinese President Xi Jinping for violating his promise not to militarize the South China Sea. The Pentagon withdrew its invitation for China to participate in the 2018 Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RimPac), a multinational naval exercise that the US…
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China is not even pretending anymore in the South China Sea — it put 400 buildings on one of the disputed islands
Satellite imagery shows that China has put nearly 400 buildings on Subi Reef in the South China Sea. Data shows that the number of buildings on Subi Reef is about double that on China’s other large outposts in the hotly contested region, known as the Spratly Islands. Experts are concerned about China’s increasing militarization of the South China Sea, and…
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Justice Carpio, VP Robredo urge gov’t to protest China bomber planes in South China Sea
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, May 22) — The Philippine government should file a formal protest after Chinese bomber planes landed for the first time on an island in the contested South China Sea, Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and Vice President Leni Robredo said Tuesday. The statements comes after reports of long-range H-6K bombers landing for the first time…