Filipinos can operate school on Pag-asa Island – Akbayan
June 27, 2012

Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello enjoins public to defend sovereignty and right to education in Pag-asa Island

“We have the right to open a school in Pag-asa Island.”

This was the statement of Akbayan Party in reaction to the remarks made by Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei protesting the construction of a school building on Pag-asa Island. Akbayan Representative Walden Bello said China cannot prohibit Filipinos from operating a school in the island, as the area is an integral part of Philippine territory.

“Building a school within our territory cannot in any way undermine China’s sovereignty. The school is on Pag-asa Island, a municipality of the Philippines. The Philippine government has all the right to make use of its own territory especially to provide social services to its people,” according to Bello.

“We demand the Chinese government to refrain from issuing offensive statements such as those made by Hong Lei. It’s already bad that China is infringing on our sovereignty with its unimpeded incursions. Now it is virtually telling us where we can and cannot implement infrastructure projects within our territory. It is absurd and boorish,” Bello added.

Defend Sovereignty, Right to Education

Bello called on Filipinos to renew their commitment to defend the country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea and the right of their countrymen residing in Pag-asa Island to education.

“It is imperative for us to secure our country’s sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. Filipinos should stand by our country’s efforts to defend our territorial integrity. At the same time, we should also support the Filipinos residing in Pag-asa Island in their endeavor to provide education for their children,” Bello said.

China violated Philippine sovereignty, not the other way around

Bello asserted that it is China which has been infringing Philippine sovereignty with its construction of structures on areas within the 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

“It’s China, not the Philippines, which has been violating the territorial integrity of other countries. For instance it built structures on Mischief Reef, also known as Panganiban Reef, which is within the 200-nautical mile EEZ of the Philippines,” Bello said.

Bello also highlighted the continued presence of Chinese sea vessels in Panatag shoal, which is only 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales.

“It is the Chinese government which is wantonly violating our sovereignty and marine jurisdiction on many areas in the West Philippine Sea,” Bello said.

“In the Panatag shoal area alone, China occupied it with as many as 28 sea vessels. And now they complain that we undermined their sovereignty because we built a school in an island which is an integral part of our territory? The Chinese government has lost its sense of proportion,” Bello said.

China has the burden of easing tensions in the West Philippine Sea

Akbayan also renewed its demand to China to pull out its vessels from the area and pave the way for the de-escalation of tensions in the West Philippine Sea.

Bello urged China to abide by the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, to which it is a signatory, and work with other Southeast Asian countries to finally come up with a binding document for the resolution of the territorial dispute.

“China will only aggravate the dispute in the West Philippine Sea by continuing its incursions of other countries’ territories. If it is genuinely serious in bringing a peaceful end to the hostilities, then it should faithfully adhere to the 2002 Declaration and also work with the other countries in the region to craft a binding Code of Conduct,” Bello concluded.

Pag-asa Island is one of the largest islands within the Spratly Islands in the West Philippine Sea with an area of 0.79 square kilometers. Less than 200 residents live on the island having been annexed by the Philippines as part of its territory in 1978. It is officially a part of the Kalayaan municipality of the Province of Palawan and is administered by a local mayor.

On July 2011, a peace and sovereignty mission led by Bello together with fellow Akbayan Representative Kaka Bag-ao and other lawmakers visited Filipinos residing in Pag-asa Island. ###

http://www.akbayan.org.ph/news/12-press-releases/209-filipinos-can-operate-school-on-pag-asa-island-akbayan

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