DOST: Nothing political in renaming South China Sea to West PHL Sea

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) on Monday said the move to rename the South China Sea to West Philippine Sea had nothing to do with the territorial dispute between the country and China over the controversial Spratlys Islands. DOST Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said it is a common practice among meteorological agencies to rename certain bodies of water. “Sa amin, walang intention makihalo sa political issue," he said in an interview aired over dwIZ. He cited the example of Vietnam, which calls the South China Sea as the East Sea. Yumul added that the department changed the name to avoid confusion among Filipinos. “Sa amin sa DOST, para hindi na malito ang ating mga kababayan, [inaayos] natin. Kapag titingnan niyo naman ang southwest monsoon ng ating mga bagyo, namumuo sa West Philippine Sea," he said. The Philippine government last week started referring to what used to be called as the South China Sea as West Philippine Sea in its official statement. The move came in the midst of rising tension between China and the Philippines over the ownership of Spratlys Islands, a group of islands spread over the relabeled body of water. The territorial dispute over Spratlys Islands was revived after a China Marine Surveillance vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy ships were reportedly sighted at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea. The Philippine government is currently preparing the country’s official accounts of the reported Chinese incursions to be sent to China and the United Nations. — Andreo C. Calonzo/KBK, GMA News