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By Angelo S. Samonte, Reporter
THE Philippine government warns Taiwan anew not
to disrupt the present political balance in the South China Sea,
saying any wrong move could unduly create tension.
“We want to appeal to the Taiwan government
not to create tension in the contested islands as much as possible.
There should be no disturbance because if there is, it’s going to
be a big problem to all of us. They should remember that many
nations are involved here—Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, China, the
Philippines and others,” Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio
Apostol said.
He added however that the Palace cannot preempt
the Department of Foreign Affairs on what actions to take whether to
pursue diplomatic protest or not.
Apostol said he expects the President to direct
the DFA to take necessary actions and address the issue.
Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian is reportedly
planning a visit to the Spratly Islands and the Taiwan defense
secretary and legislators plan a trip to one of their islands in
Spratlys.
Earlier, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago,
chairwoman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, decried the
“provocative” move of the defense chief and a group of
legislators from Taiwan to visit the contested Spratly Islands in
the South China Sea.
Santiago said the visit of the Taiwanese
officials to the Spratlys will violate the 2002 Declaration on the
Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea signed by China, Brunei,
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore,
and Thailand.
All these countries, except Singapore and
Thailand, have filed claims to the island-chain believed to be rich
in minerals and oil. The declaration was signed to ease the tension
in the Spratlys, a potential flashpoint in the region, because of
the conflicting claims to the whole or parts of the island-chain.
It states that “the parties are committed to
exploring ways for bringing trust and confidence on the basis of
equality and mutual respect.” It also commits the parties to the
“freedom of navigation in and overflight above the South China
Sea, as provided for by international law.”
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