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| The Kalayaan, Panatag & other disputed islands; Future conflict zones? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 2 2005, 08:00 PM (156,114 Views) | |
| page mcney | Mar 8 2008, 01:15 AM Post #101 |
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THIS IS A SELL-OUT!!!! I CAN'T BELIEVES THAT GMA IS SLOWLY GIVING TERRITORY TO CHINA!!! TREASON IT IS!!!!! BAKA ISANG UMAGA PAG GISING NATIN BANDERA NA NG CHINA ANG NAKATAYO SA MALACANANG (WE MIGHT BE SURPRISED ONE MORNING WHEN THE CHINESE FLAG IS RAISED IN MALACANANG)!!!!! TREASON!!!! MY GOLLY-GEE THIS IS TREASON!!!! NOW I'M ANGRY!!! I'M REALLY, REALLY ANGRY WITH GMA!!! NOW I KNOW WHY HER GOVERNMENT CANNOT GIVE OUR TROOPS THE EQUIPMENT AND TRAINING IT NEEDED IN FIGTHING AND ENDING THE INSURGENCY PROBLEM!!! A CHINESE SELL-OUT!!!! |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 03:01 AM Post #102 |
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Spratlys deals irked US--Drilon RP envoy also says DFA had no part in pact By Juliet Labog-Javellana Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:28:00 03/08/2008 MANILA, Philippines -- The United States had been "pissed off" by the Philippines' deals with China, including the joint seismic study in the disputed Spratly Islands, former Senate President Franklin Drilon said Friday. Drilon said Philippine Ambassador to Japan Domingo Siazon Jr. told him about the US displeasure before the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) involving the Philippines, China and Vietnam was signed in 2005. "Ambassador Siazon told me sometime in 2005 that the US was pissed off with the Philippines warming up to China as evidenced by these deals, contracts and loans that we have entered into with China," Drilon told the Philippine Daily Inquirer (parent company of INQUIRER.net) on the phone. Siazon said, however, that he could not remember that conversation. But Siazon, a former foreign secretary, did caution the government against the seismic study, saying it could violate constitutional restrictions on foreigners' exploration and development of Philippine resources. He told the Inquirer on the phone from Tokyo that the Department of Foreign Affairs "had worried" about the agreement, of which it was apparently not a part. The Philippines and China forged an agreement in 2004 to conduct a seismic study of areas in the Spratlys. When Vietnam, another Spratly claimant, objected, it became part of the tripartite JMSU, which is now being assailed as a "sellout" of the Philippines. Some lawmakers said the agreement could have been in exchange for at least $8 billion in loans from China for, among others, the NorthRail and SouthRail projects and the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal. They don't talk Drilon said Siazon had gotten wind of the US displeasure from Japanese officials, who in turn were told of it by US officials. But Siazon told the Inquirer: "I don't remember, it's 2005." He said Japanese officials were not wont to discuss such things. "The Japanese don't talk; they count," he said, meaning they monitored visits of heads of states in various countries in the region. Drilon, however, insisted that Siazon had disclosed the matter to him over dinner at the ambassador's residence in Tokyo. "He doesn't remember, but I remember," Drilon said when told of Siazon's response. "He made the statement to me in his house in Tokyo when I came for a visit, and in that dinner, he gathered several Japanese legislators. But he did not say that in front of the legislators; he told me privately." Asked what were the implications of the US displeasure over the Philippines' dealings with China, Drilon said: "We are part of the proxy war between the US and China over dominance in the region." Be very careful Siazon said the government should be careful about allowing foreign exploration in areas claimed by the Philippines. "They have to look very carefully at the implementation part because of some restrictions in the Constitution. We have the existing 60-40 restriction, but an imaginative solution can be found; they can widen the area," he said. Siazon said the DFA was apparently not included in the deal. "I know the DFA had worried about the difficulty of implementing that agreement," he said. He denied knowledge of the terms of the JMSU, including the "parameters" and the "coordinates." Siazon said there might not be a problem if the area covered by the joint study or exploration was not confined to the Philippines' claim. He said there would be no violation of the Constitution if the activity was limited to a joint study, such as suggested by the title of the JSMU. "If it's just a study, there is no problem, there is no violation. It's the development or exploration [that could be a violation]," he said. Asked if the agreement could be used as basis for impeaching President Macapagal-Arroyo, as feared by some sectors, Siazon said: "But she did not sign that." First on the stand On Thursday, Drilon told the Inquirer that Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, then Ms Arroyo's chief legal counsel, had sought his help about the yet to be signed bilateral agreement between the Philippines and China because she felt it might be in violation of the Constitution and could be grounds for impeaching the President. Friday, four senators indicated that they wanted their former colleague to elaborate on his claim. Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Escudero III concurred that Drilon, with his wealth of information as a former Senate president and a former ally of the Arroyo administration, should be the first witness on the stand once the chamber got its inquiry going on the questionable agreement. "Now that we have established that questionable deals such as the [NBN project] can get past Chinese and Filipino officials, it is but proper to scrutinize all transactions we have with them," Pangilinan said. Escudero said Drilon could provide vital information considering that the Senate might not be able to summon the Ombudsman because of constitutional limits. Pimentel said that aside from Drilon, Romulo and the other Filipino signatories could be asked to testify. With a report from Gil C. Cabacungan Jr. |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 03:15 AM Post #103 |
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![]() Sold: 24,000 sq. km. RP territory in GMA deal delineated Malaya, March 8, 2008 THE joint seismic study agreement the Philippines struck with China in 2004 preparatory to oil exploration in the disputed Spratlys covers an area that laps the western shores of Philippines, Malaya was able to establish yesterday. The agreement has been kept secret by the Philippine government, but Malaya was able to secure a copy of Annex "A" which delineates the boundaries of the area covered. At its farthermost eastern edge, the area is around 25 kilometers from the southern tip of Palawan. At its northern boundary, the area abuts the Malampaya oil field and includes an area the Philippines had long awarded to a British company for oil exploration. Of the total 142,886 kilometers, around 24,000 square kilometers clearly belong to the Philippines and fall outside the areas in the Spratlys which are claimed either in whole or in part by the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Taiwan, Indonesia and Brunei. The area also swallows almost 80 percent of the Kalayaan Group which the Philippines claims. The Spratly island itself, which serves as the reference when referring to the Spratly Group, is at the westernmost edge area covered by the agreement. The island is about 700 kilometers from Palawan. Malaya publisher Amado Macasaet, in an article, has said that President Arroyo and then Speaker Jose de Venecia might be held liable for treason for signing the agreement in exchange for loans "attended by bribery and corruption." Resolutions have been filed at both the Senate and the House calling for an inquiry into the "sellout" of Philippine territory. Cabinet secretary Ricardo Saludo dared critics to question the Spratly deal before the Supreme Court instead of citing what he called hearsay. "Why does the opposition keep resorting to press statements and partisan hearings? Is it afraid of impartial due process?" he said. He said former Senate President Franklin Drilon, being a topnotch lawyer and former justice secretary, should "know how to test the validity of any agreement." Drilon, in a television interview, has said he was formally informed that the approval of the Chinese loan for the $500 million NorthRail project was tied to the Spratly deal. Vice President Noli de Castro said he wants to hear the side of Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs, adding that all he knows about the deal is based on media reports. The Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) was signed on Sept. 1, 2004 between the China National Offshore Oil Corp. and the Philippine National Oil Corp., reportedly in exchange for billions worth of soft loans for projects like the national broadband network project, the cyber education project, and the North and South Rail projects. Vietnam initially denounced the agreement, but came on board in March 2005. The DFA has explained that the JMSU, which includes conduct of joint explorations and similar activities among the three Spratly claimants (China, Vietnam and the Philippines), does not impinge on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines. It said JMSU is "a landmark agreement that affirms the political commitment of three claimant states to approach their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and constructive manner." The Philippines and China were the first signatories to the JMSU. Vietnam later joined in the agreement. Rep. Roilo Golez (Ind. Parañaque) said De Venecia must come out and tell everything he knows about the "origins and background" of the Spratly deal. Golez and detained Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV have filed separate resolutions calling for a probe. Golez said De Venecia should explain whether there is truth to the insinuation that there is a link between this agreement and China’s soft loan facility of $2 billion a year for controversial and allegedly overpriced projects like NorthRail, SouthRail, NBN-ZTE, among others." "The former Speaker must also clarify if there were other top officials who intervened in the signing of the deal. Knowing the decision-making process for deals of this nature, I cannot believe that the Speaker alone can swing this without Malacañang’s approval," he said. De Venecia has denied that the deal was forged in exchange for loans. He added the deal would even avert a potential conflict that may arise in the Spratlys. De Venecia said that after the seismic data-gathering, it would only be logical to begin exploratory oil drilling which he said is very much needed in the face of the sky-rocketing prices of oil products. Golez said the Spratlys is believed to contain oil reserves of around 200 billion barrels which at present oil price level would translate to around $20 trillion. Rep. Orlando Fua (Lakas, Siquijor), senior vice chair of the committee on foreign affairs, on Wednesday night said in the plenary that the DFA has been lobbying against the passage of House Bill 3216 which defines the Philippines’ archipelagic baseline, including the Kalayaan Group of Islands and the Scarborough Shoal in the Spratlys. Fua said this is the reason the House has not approved the bill on final reading despite its inclusion in the agenda. Sources said the DFA does not want the House version because this would antagonize the Chinese who have been providing loans to the Philippines. ALARMING Senate majority leader Francis Pangilinan said if the Spratly deal is indeed tainted by anomaly, "then we must all be alarmed because then we will find that the Filipino people need to protect themselves from their very own government." Pangilinan said the Philippines entered into 31 agreements with China last year to promote bilateral trade and development in the next 10 years. These include the agreement to jointly undertake seismic studies of the Spratlys and explore the territory for oil and natural gas. According to reports, the Chinese government committed $2 billion in official development assistance every year to the Republic of the Philippines until 2010 after the deal was signed. Senators have said that the 67 bilateral agreements which the Arroyo administration signed with China seem to be a "precondition to the bilateral loan agreements granted by China to the Philippines to finance the government’s overpriced and anomalous projects such as the NBN-ZTE contract and the North Rail project. Of the 67 bilateral agreements, 57 were signed after Aug. 31, 2003 or after talks were opened relative to China’s oil and gas exploration of Spratly Islands. OF NO VALUE The National Union of People’s Lawyers said Malacañang’s challenge to bring the Spratly deal before the courts is meaningless and "of no value." Neri Javier Colmenares, the group’s secretary general, said no suit against the JMSU can be filed "unless President Arroyo allows officials, including Chairman Romulo Neri, to testify, and the negotiations leading to the JMSU, including the Agreement itself, are made transparent and publicly submitted to the Senate investigation." Colmenares nevertheless said the JMSU is "void if signed by President Arroyo and the Chinese government in consideration of fraudulent transactions in the various projects and loan agreements involving Chinese companies." "In fact, due to the fraudulent transactions accompanying the loan agreements, the Philippine has every right to demand the voidance of the loans should fraud be proved between the two parties," he said. – Jocelyn Montemayor, Wendell Vigilia, JP Lopez and Anthony Ian Cruz |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 03:22 AM Post #104 |
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IBON: Spratly deal a repeat of disastrous Malampaya sale GMANews.tv 03/07/2008 | 07:20 PM MANILA, Philippines - A reported deal between the Philippine government and China on the joint exploration of the contested Spratly Islands may be a repeat of the government's sale of Malampaya, militant think tank IBON Foundation said Friday night. IBON research head Sonny Africa said the Spratly deal violates the Constitution and threatens to have the Philippines on the economic losing end. "This is the experience with the Malampaya natural gas project where foreigners disproportionately benefit from the country's natural gas resources," Africa said. Africa said the $4.5-billion Malampaya Deepwater Gas-to-Power Project exploits some 3.7 trillion cubic feet of natural gas reserves, or 95% of the country's proven such reserves. But the project is 45% owned by Shell Philippines Exploration, 45% by Chevron-Texaco and only 10 percent by Philippine National Oil Company (PNOC). Shell and Chevron-Texaco thus control virtually all of the country's natural gas and corner the largest share of benefits from its exploitation, he said. "For their investment SPEX and Chevron-Texaco expect to get $14 billion back over 20 years, or P574 billion at current exchange rates. As it is, Shell Philippines Exploration BV declared net income of P3.5 billion and Chevron Malampaya LLC of P7.5 billion in 2006, or a total of over P11 billion. The Department of Energy, in turn, declared Malampaya gas sales revenues of just P5.4 billion in 2006," Africa noted. He said Shell and Chevron benefited from significant incentives under PD 87 of 1972 and Service Contract No. 38. Both are allowed to deduct all operating and capital expense (not exceeding 70%) from gross income and are exempted from income tax, entitled to duty free importation and unrestricted entry of foreign personnel. On the other hand, the government failed to negotiate any kind of meaningful technology transfer, meaning a perpetual reliance on foreign firms for exploitation of our energy resources. "Such government neglect is to blame for the never-ending argument that foreign investment is needed for the expertise they bring. Foreign firms will always disproportionately benefit from the country's natural resources as long as they have this technological leverage," he said. Africa noted the Malampaya project was officially inaugurated in October 2001, and remains the country's single largest foreign investment project in the country's history. It was immediately criticized for violating the Constitutional limit on foreigners of 40% on exploration, development and utilization of natural resources. - GMANews.TV |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 03:26 AM Post #105 |
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Palace officials defend Spratly's deal abs-cbnnews.com Reminiscent of the scrapped national broadband network (NBN) deal when allegations of bribery and overpricing first broke out, Malacañang officials on Friday went on a counter-offensive against critics of the "Spratlys deal" between the Philippines, China and Vietnam. Allegations of treason and sell out of the country’s sovereign claim on the Kalayaan Group of Islands and on these - the possible impeachment of President Arroyo - have been hurled by critics of the joint undertaking signed by the Philippines in 2005 with China and Vietnam. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) signed with China and Vietnam did not mean that the Philippines surrendered its claim of sovereignty over the disputed area. He said the undertaking even proves that the two countries recognizes the Philippines’ claim to the Kalayaan Group of Islands. Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, in a Malacañang statement, said the joint undertaking is limited only to scientific surveys and joint evaluation and has nothing to do with oil exploration as claimed by the opposition. He said the joint undertaking "manifests responsible diplomacy to ease tension and promote confidence building" in the Spratlys islands. "The JMSU is an example of a confidence-building measure that aims to transform the South China Sea from a region of conflict to a region of peace and cooperation," Romulo said in a statement. Romulo believes the agreement also serves as the country’s commitment to prevent any possible conflict in the South China Sea. Aside from the three countries involved in the trilateral agreement, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, and Brunei are also claiming sovereignty over the group of islands and except for Brunei, all have established military installations in the area. Gonzalez, in a press release, said however that "critics don't even know that the agreement refers not to ‘government to government’ basis but to private entities like the Philippine National Oil Company, the China Offshore Oil Corp., and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation, all being chartered and governed by commercial laws by their respective countries." He also said that the JMSU is also set to expire in three months. Gonzalez: Drilon allowed case similar to JMSU Gonzalez also slammed "Spratlys deal" critic and former Senate President Franklin Drilon who he said wrote a legal opinion in 1990 in a case similar to JMSU and which was "in connection with the proposed seismic project to be undertaken by the Government of the Philippines and the Government of Australia." Gonzalez said that the legal opinion he said Drilon wrote when he was justice secretary declared that the joint undertaking was allowed by Philippine laws. Gonzalez quoted the legal opinion: "We find no legal objection to the project proposal and to the execution of the MOA covering it. As we see it, the project proposal which involves data gathering, processing and interpretation techniques are only pre-exploration activities which are not covered by constitutional limitations." The "Spratlys deal" refers to the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea (JMSU) signed March 14, 2005 by the national oil companies of the Philippines, China, and Vietnam. These three are: PNOC Exploration Corporation (PNOC-EC), China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) and Vietnam Oil and Gas Corporation (PetroVietnam). The 3-year JMSU provides for "joint acquisition of seismic data in order to assess the petroleum resource potential" of the area covered in the study, according to a press statement on the Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC)-Exploration Corp. website. The PNOC-EC said the tripartite agreement "covers an area of 142,886 kilometers west of Palawan." It took effect July 2005. The first phase was between September 1 to November 16, 2005 covering 11,000 line kilometers. The Chinese seismic vessel M/V Nan Hai 502 conducted the survey. Data gathered from the first phase of the survey was processed in Vietnam. Data interpretation was done in Manila by the PNOC-EC. The second phase of seismic acquisition, covering 11,800 kilometers, started October 2007. It was supposed to be completed January 2008. Gonzalez also said that should the studies be positive for possible petroleum resources further agreements would still need to be negotiated between the three countries involved. Foreign Affairs department spokesman Claro Cristobal supported this view. "Any activity beyond scientific surveys would still be subject to further consultations and agreement," said Cristobal. UNO: Act of betrayal and treason The United Opposition (UNO) meanwhile said on Friday that the JMSU "is an outrageous act of betrayal and treason by the president" "Our country's territorial integrity is a trust and an endowment for all Filipinos--including the succeeding generations--that may not be bartered by politicians for their personal gain. Some commentators would say that such action (by Malacañang) are not only unethical, unlawful but actually constitute treason," said lawyer Adel Tamano, UNO spokesman, in a statement. "Without using a military take-over, the Arroyo administration has in effect caused the emergence of a Chinese co-prosperity sphere in the region," said San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito. "This is clearly treason committed by letting a foreign power exploit our oil reserves and other natural resources. She has sold our territories," said Ejercito. Drilon’s said Thursday that the Spratlys deal was in exchange for development assistance projects from China. Speaking on the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC) program The Big Picture hosted by Ricky Carandang, Drilon said his own government sources had told him that "unless the Spratly deal is signed, there is no North Rail contract." China provided a $400 million loan for the North Luzon Railways Project, which involves build an initial railway between Caloocan to Malolos, Bulacan. Drilon also disclosed that then Acting Justice Secretary and Presidential Legal Counsel Merceditas Gutierrez advised President Arroyo against the JMSU since it would violate the Constitutional provision and would "open up the President to an impeachment case before Congress" for "gross violation of the Constitution." Drilon said the Department of Foreign Affairs "had also very serious reservations about the agreement." Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño and 13 other members of the House of Representatives have earlier filed House Resolution 496 directing two House committees to look into the supposed deal "that reportedly sells out Philippine interests and Philippine sovereignty in exchange for overpriced loans for controversial projects which include the NBN-ZTE deal, the North Rail and South Rail Projects, and the Cyber Education Project." Casiño said that "if the President was proven to have signed an agreement that compromised the national territory, specifically the Philippine claim over the Spratlys, then she would be liable for the impeachable offense of treason." Face the music With Gonzalez’s statements, senators now want Drilon to face the grilling of his former colleagues, The Philippine Star reported. Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., and Sen. Francis Escudero said Drilon may be asked to appear before the Senate to shed light on what he knows about the Spratlys deal. Pimentel said Drilon may be invited to reveal what he knows and recall how Gutierrez had objected to the joint seismic agreement. Pimentel said Secretary Romulo and PNOC officials may also be invited to appear before the Senate inquiry. Escudero, for his part, doubted if the Senate can summon Gutierrez to appear before the inquiry. "(We) might not be able to call Ombudsman given certain constitutional limits," he said. Escudero said Drilon "seems to know a lot about" the agreement and that the former Senate president, as a lawyer and former ally of President Arroyo, may have something substantial to say about the new controversy now hounding the administration. De Venecia, a former administration ally, defended the agreement, explaining the arrangement only covers disputed islets that are not within Philippine territory. "Even if some are within our territory, we don’t have the kind of money to explore for oil and natural gas in those small islands. This is just a preliminary agreement for seismic studies. We will have a separate agreement if there is oil and natural gas there. There will be a different sharing formula in islets that are within our territory, if there are," he said. He cited the Malampaya natural gas project in Palawan, which is being run by Dutch oil firm Shell and an American partner. "In the case of the Spratlys, we do not know yet if there is indeed oil and natural gas there," De Venecia said. Citing previous studies, Rep. Golez said it is estimated that the disputed islets hold about 200 billion barrels of oil which, at present prices, is worth $20 trillion. Golez said this could be the reason why China has been offering soft loans to the Philippines totaling $2 billion a year up to the end of Mrs. Arroyo’s term. Unfortunately, many of the loans are for overpriced projects that involved kickbacks for corrupt officials and brokers, he said. Drilon could not be reached for comment as he left for Australia last night. Spratly’s project put on hold – source Similar to the scrapped NBN telecommunications project however, the "Spratlys deal" has been put on hold due to legal issues and scandals involving Chinese-funded projects. A former member of the Arroyo Cabinet, speaking to abs-cbnNEWS.com/Newsbreak on condition of anonymity, said the three countries in the so-called "Spratlys deal"—the Philippines, China, and Vietnam—have "effectively set it aside for another year." |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 07:10 PM Post #106 |
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The Extent of Philippine control in the Spratlys (Source: Wikipedia): A. Philippine-controlled islands (including Filipino names; some include their land area): 1. Flat Island (Patag) - 0.57 hectares 2. Lankiam Cay (Panatag) - 0.44 hectares 3. Loaita Island (Kota) - 6.45 hectares 4. Nanshan Island (Lawak) - 7.93 hectares 5. Northeast Cay (Parola) - 12.7 hectares 6. Thitu Island (Pag-asa) - 37.2 hectares 7. West York Island (Likas) - 18.6 hectares 8. Commodore Reef (Rizal) - a sand "cay" 0.5 meters high, surrounded by two lagoons 9. Irving Reef (Balagtas) - naturally above water only during low tide 10. Second Thomas Reef (Ayungin) - a shallow reef; located close to Chinese-occupied Mischief Reef (Panganiban) NOTE: All Philippine-controlled islands have troops stationed on them. B. Islands virtually occupied or controlled by the Philippines: 1. Loaita Cay - located two kilometers southeast of Loaita Island (Kota); a sand cay with fringing reef naturally above water at high tide 2. Loaita Nan/Loaita Southwest Reef - located eight kilometers northwest of Loaita Island (Kota); never above water 3. North Reef (Hilaga) - located two kilometers northeast of Northeast Cay (Parola); naturally above water only at low tide; the Philippines once considered building a long airstrip over this feature to ease transportation to Northeast Cay (Parola) but failed to do so due to the prohibitions in the Code of Conduct 4. Sandy Cay/Extension Reef - located eight kilometers west of Thitu Island (Pag-asa); a low sand cay; fringing reef above water at high tide. C. Unoccupied but largely controlled by the Philippines: 1. Amy Douglas/Baker Reef (Mahiwagang Diwata) - located north of Palawan Passage; awash at low tide 2. Bombay Shoal (Abad Santos) - several rocks exposed at low tide; surrounds a lagoon 3. Boxall Reef (Rajah Soliman) - above water only at low tide 4. Brown Reef (Kayumanggi) 5. Carnadic Reef 6. Director Shoal (Tamban) 7. First Thomas Reef (Bulig) - few rocks are permanently above sea level; encloses a lagoon; much of the reef is above water at low tide; frequented by Philippine troops from Second Thomas Reef (Ayungin) and Filipino fishermen 8. Ganges Reef (Palma) 9. Glasgow Bank (Aguinaldo) - some sources say this area is occupied by the Philippines due to its proximity to the Commodore Reef (Rizal) 10. Half Moon Shoal (Hasahasa) - several rocks on the eastern side rise one to two feet above high tide; encloses a lagoon 11. Hardy Reef - naturally above water only at low tide; surrounds a narrow strip of sand 12. Hopkins Reef 13. Investigator Northeast Shoal (Dalagang Bukid) - lies a few miles west of Palawan; naturally above water at low tide 14. Iroquois Reef (Del Pilar) - located of Nanshan (Lawak) and Flat (Patag) islands; above water only at low tide 15. Leslie Bank 16. Lord Auckland Shoal (Lapu-Lapu) 17. Lys Shoal (Binago) 18. Northeast Shea 19. Pennsylvania North Reef 20. Pennsylvania South Reef 21. Reed Tablemount, including Nares Bank and Marie Louise Bank (Recto) - about 6,500 km² in area, shallowest natural depth is nine meters ; the Philippines occupied this feature in 1971 and a Philippine-Sweden joint oil-exploration followed afterwards; China protested the act, saying that this tablemount which center lies 100 miles (160 km) from the Philippines is part of China's territories; the Philippines later tried asking China for a joint effort but China declined arguing that the Philippines has no right in this feature. still under Philippine control 22. Royal Captain Shoal (Kanduli) - few rocks are above water at low tide; surrounds a lagoon 23. Sabina Shoal (Escoda) - encloses two lagoons, naturally above water at low tide; lies east of Second Thomas Reef (Ayungin) 24. Sandy Shoal (Mabuhangin) 26. Scarborough Shoal (Panatag) - not part of Spratly Islands chain but under Philippine control 26. Seashore Shoal (Baybayin ) - lies north of Palawan Passage 27. Stag Shoal 28. Southern Bank/Reef (Katimugan) - group of features located south of Reed Tablemount; features include Magat Salamat, Tagpi, Hubo Reef, and Katimugan Banks/Reef; area controlled by the Philippines due to proximity to Flat (Patag) and Nanshan (Lawak) islands; frequented by Filipino fishermen 29. Templar Bank (Dalag) 30. Trident Shoal (Tatlong Tulis) 31. Viper North Shoal (Maya-Maya) 32. Viper Shoal (Tomas Claudio) D. Islands being claimed by the Philippines but occupied by another country: 1. Itu Aba Island (Ligaw) - largest island in the Spratlys (46 hectares); occupied by Taiwan 2. Amboyna Cay (Kalantiaw) - area: 1.6 hectares; east part consists of sand and coral, west part is covered with guano; has fringing reef; an obelisk, about 2.7 meters high, stands on southwest corner; heavily fortified; occupied by Vietnam 3. Namyit Island (Binago) - area: 5.3 hectares; covered with small trees, bushes and grass; has a fringing reef and is inhabited by sea birds; the deep waters fronting the south side it is said that a submarine base is situated; occupied by Vietnam 4. Sand Cay (Bailan) - area: seven hectares; with trees and bushes; fringing reef partly above water at low tide; occupied by Vietnam 5. Sin Cowe Island (Rurok) - area: eight hectares; has fringing reef which is above water at low tide; occupied by Vietnam 6. Sin Cowe East Island - occupied by Vietnam 7. Southwest Cay (Pugad) - area: 12 hectares; previously a breeding place for birds and covered with trees and guano; first occupied by the Philippines but Philippine troops were evicted by Vietnamese troops after Phiilippine soldiers guarding the island attended the birthday party of their commanding officer based in the nearby Northeast Cay (Parola); occupied by Vietnam since then 8. Spratly (Proper) Island (Lagos) - area: 13 hectares; covered with with bushes, grass, birds and guano; has a 5.5-meter high obelisk, landing strip and fishing port; occupied by Vietnam 9. Pigeon Reef - occupied by Vietnam 10. South Reef - occupied by Vietnam 11. Ardasier Reef (Antonio Luna) - naturally above water only at low tide; encloses a lagoon; island is garrisoned; occupied by Malaysia 12. Erica Reef (Gabriela Silang) - above ater only at low tide. Some isolated rocks on the eastern edge stand above high water; occupied by Malaysia 13. Investigator Shoal (Pawikan) - above water only at low tide; some large rocks at the western end are visible at high water; encloses a lagoon; occupied by Malaysia 14. Mariveles Reef - a sand cay, 1.5-2 m high, surrounded by two lagoons, parts of which are above water at high tide; several soldiers stationed; occupied by Malaysia 15. Swallow Reef/Island (Celerio) - area: 6.2 hectares; treeless cay and rocks up to three meters high surround a lagoon; has a fishing port and a 15-room diving resort, including a 1.5 km airstrip; present resent land mass is reclaimed, making it the first artificial island in Spratly; occupied by Malaysia 16. Mischief Reef (Panganiban) - in February 1995, PRC had built a wooden complex on stilts here, starting its formal occupation of the feature; in 1999, the Philippines protested over this structures claiming that it is a military outpost and it poses danger to Philippine security and national defense, being 130 miles (209 km) from Palawan; PRC claims it is a shelter for fishermen; occupied by China 17. Subi Reef (Zamora) - located 26 kilometers southwest of Thitu (Pag-asa) Island; naturally above water only at low tide; surrounds a lagoon; PRC has constructed three-storey buildings, wharfs, and a helipad; occupied by China 18. all of features to the east of the 116°E meridian (unoccupied) E. Islands not occupied by any country 1. Alicia Anne Reef (Arellano) - a sand "cay", 1.2 m high; many rocks above high tide line 2. Discovery Small Reef (Gomez) - above water only at low tide 3. Edmund Reef 4. Eldad Reef (Malvar) - only a few large rocks are naturally above water at high tide 5. Hallet Reef 6. Holiday Reef 7. Hopps Reef (Diego Silang) - above water only at low tide 8. Jackson Atoll (Quirino) - four or five portions are above water at low tide.; encloses a lagoon 9. Jones Reef - lies eight kilometers south of Kennan Reef; small reef, partly above water only at low tide 10. Livock Reef (northeast reef: Jacinto Reef; southwest reef: Bonifacio Reef) - above water only at low tide; some rocks still visible at high tide 11. Menzies Reef (Lakandula) - awash at low tide 12. Owen Shoal - shallowest natural depth is six meters 13. Prince of Wales Bank - shallowest natural depth is seven meters; has corals 14. Tieshi Jiao - above water only at low tide; located northeast of Thitu (Pag-asa) Island and unnamed on most maps. |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| israeli | Mar 8 2008, 07:29 PM Post #107 |
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![]() -- Malaysian-occupied Swallow Reef (Celerio), known as Layang Layang Island in Malaysia. take note of the airstrip, port/pier and the resort that were built by the Malaysians. ![]() -- Vietnamese-controlled Namyit Island. ![]() -- Chinese-controlled Fiery Cross Reef. the Chinese deployed five anti-aircraft/naval guns in the area. |
| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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| MSantor | Mar 10 2008, 01:57 AM Post #108 |
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Are we just going to discuss the legal aspects of the Spratleys claims or IS ANYONE ACTUALLY GOING TO RESPOND TO MY SUGGESTION?
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"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." - Henry Ford "Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm." - Winston Churchill "If everyone is thinking alike, someone isn't thinking"- Gen. George S. Patton | |
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| Fmr TOPP Awardee 82'PNP | Mar 10 2008, 05:49 AM Post #109 |
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PDFF Moderator
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MSantor, your suggestion is to foment war. Mines are weapons of war and can only be used in a defense of a territory when a country is at war with another country. Hence, laying these mines in times of peace does'nt conform or in harmony with the Geneva convention. |
![]() "GUILTY CONSCIENCE NEEDS NO ACCUSER" | |
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| israeli | Mar 10 2008, 06:34 AM Post #110 |
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one more thing: how can we even lay mines on waters surrounding the Spratlys when we do not even have a law to formalize and legalize the Spratlys, along with Scarborough Shoal, Sabah (sorry Malaysia. that land is OURS) and Bentham Rise as part of Philippine territory and define our EEZ and ECS? we really have to get that law enacted within this year or we will lose the Spratlys and all of the territory that we own to some other country out there.
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| "To secure peace is to prepare for war." - Carl Von Clausewitz | |
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