PHL eyes peaceful resolution of rift with China over ‘intrusion’

Malacañang on Thursday expressed confidence that the apparent rift with China in connection with the Spratlys dispute will be resolved peacefully. This, as the Philippine government stressed that Western Palawan, which includes Reed Bank, is not part of the disputed territory in the South China Sea and the Philippines is asserting its sovereignty in the area. The Philippines has accused China of intrusion when some of its vessels were spotted last month near the Reed Bank and Amy Douglas Bank, which are located west of Palawan province. China, for its part, scolded the Philippines for "issuing irresponsible comments that are inconsistent with facts." At a press briefing, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that despite the exchange of accusations, they are confident that the issue will be resolved peacefully, noting the continuous dialogue between the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Chinese Embassy. "We have made representations and we are also aware of the situation, of their insistence, that's why we believe that the way of solving this is through peaceful resolution and continuous dialogue with all the claimants in the areas," he said. He said President Benigno Aquino III has been apprised of the situation, and "in the proper time, the President will relay to the Chinese officials, his counterpart, as to the conduct and attitude of the Philippines and the stand of the Philippines on that matter." Lacierda said the Reed Bank is located 80 nautical miles from Palawan, and more or less 500 nautical miles from China. "So obviously, this is ours even before and was never considered disputed," he said. The DFA, meanwhile, said the Amy Douglas Bank (also known as Iroquois Bank) is located southwest of Recto Bank and east of Patag Island, and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan all claim territories in South China Sea, which covers an important shipping route and is thought to hold untapped oil and gas reserves. - Amita O. Legaspi/KBK, GMA News