Esperon belies claim of Carpio Philippines lost Sandy Cay to China
National Task Force (NTF) for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) chairman Hermogenes Esperon Jr. belied the claim of retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio that the country lost Sandy Cay to China.
"What Justice Carpio said that we lost Sandy Cay, it's not true. That is part of Pag-asa Island where we have civilian and military detachment. Pag-asa is where we have airport and Sandy Cay which we monitor," he said in a public briefing on Saturday.
"We have not lost any Island from China since 2016. Justice Carpio is wrong. What he said is fake news, false news. During their time, we lost the Scarborough and Mischief. We lost it because it is within our exclusive economic zone (EEZ)," he added.
Esperon also confirmed the continued presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea, saying that the country's EEZ is "contested" by China and other neighboring states.
"Our EEZ is contested by China, Vietnam and Malaysia. It is good that we have fisheries agreement with Vietnam... what is happening there is that then fishing boats of China fish there and we see that they have more or less 200 roaming around the area of South China Sea including our Kalayaan Municipality and our EEZ which is supposed to be 200 nautical miles from our baselines or shorelines," he said.
"Within our EEZ they have structure like Mischief Reef. This Mischief Reef is their biggest (Island) now. Before, they are saying that it is just shelter for fishermen but on 2013 until 2016 China has constructed their seven islands. This is why their fishing boats are there or sometimes the Chinese maritime militia for China to enforce its territorial claim," he added.
Esperon reiterates that the country lost the Scarborough shoal and Mischief Reef not during the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte.
"That is what our president is saying if were going to take it back - because everything happened on 2013 and 2016, the Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag or Scarborough, that area in front of Zambales, China seized it on 2012," he said. Robina Asido/DMS
