House contingent to visit Spratlys on Wednesday

(Updated 4:59 p.m.) Five Filipino lawmakers from the House of Representatives will visit a portion of the disputed Spratly Islands on Wednesday, supposedly to “support" the Philippine government’s claim on the area. The contingent, which will be called the “Peace and Sovereignty Mission," will fly on Wednesday to the Kalayaan Island—a part of the island group being claimed by the Philippines. But reached for comment, Armed Forces spokesman Commodore Jose Miguel Rodriguez said nothing has been finalized yet. "Wala pang concrete dyan... nagsabi lang sila na may plano sila," Rodriguez said, adding that the matter is being discussed by the Executive department. Contingent Akbayan party-list Representatives Walden Bello and Arlene Bag-ao, DIWA party-list Rep. Emmeline Aglipay, Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone and Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. will make up the contingent. “The mission aims to support the Philippine government’s rightful claims to the country’s 200-mile economic zone and the islands in the Spratly archipelago that lie in the zone," Bello said in a statement, referring to guidelines laid down by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. The lawmaker added that the visit will also “underline the fact that no one country owns the West Philippine Sea (formerly the South China Sea), and will echo the government’s call for a multilateral resolution to the territorial dispute. The contingent will also supposedly gather data for future legislations to build up the country’s defense in the area. It will also “investigate possibilities for the expansion of sustainable economic activities" on Kalayaan Islands, according to Bello. Rules-based approach The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), meanwhile, respects and recognizes the independence of the legislature as co-equal branch of government. "Whatever they do, our hope is that they are in support of the peaceful and rules-based approach to the issue," said DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez. The Philippines has accused China of intruding into its territory, particularly near the Reed Bank off Palawan province, several times in the past months, basing the information on reports from the military. Kalayaan Island is currently considered part of the province of Palawan. Earlier this month, the DFA announced that it would bring the Spratly Islands dispute before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS), while maintaining that its claims on the area are based on the UNCLOS signed by both the Philippines and China in 1992. In May 1997, during the term of President Fidel Ramos, then House defense committee chair Rep. Jose Yap and Rep. Roque Ablan also visited Spratly Islands and planted the Philippine flag on a rock in the area to signify the country’s claim on the disputed region. — KBK/RSJ, GMA News