China blasts lawmakers’ mission to Spratly island
CHINA on Tuesday expressed deep concern over a planned trip by five Filipino lawmakers to a Philippine-occupied island in the disputed Spratly Islands.
Chinese Embassy spokesman Ethan Sun said the trip to Pag-asa Island in the South China Sea would go against a 2002 regional pact that discouraged provocative actions and would “sabotage” bilateral ties.
The trip “serves no purpose but to undermine peace and stability in the region and sabotage China-Philippine relationship,” Sun said.
China would relay its concern to the Philippine government.
On Monday, five lawmakers led by Akbayan Reps. Walden Bello and Arlene Kaka Bag-ao said they would visit the disputed Spratly Islands on a “peace and sovereignty mission.”
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said Tuesday the trip was unauthorized, but he would not stop them from going.
“They do not represent Congress,” he said.
“If they want to go sightseeing, let them. It’s a military zone. It’s not like anyone can just fly there and try to fish in the area.”
Belmonte also discouraged the lawmakers from soliciting funds to finance their trip to avoid conflict of interest.
The other congressmen who were scheduled to leave for the Spratlys Wednesday were Diwa Rep. Emilyn Aglipay, Ifugao Rep. Teddy Brawner Baguilat, and Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone. Baguilat and Evardone are members of President Benigno Aquino III’s Liberal Party.
Bello confirmed they would spend P1 million at least for the trip.
“I believe the expense would reach about P1 million because the chartered flight alone would already cost us P750,000,” Bello told the Manila Standard.
“It is an 18-seater private plane. We also have to bring extra aviation fuel because there is nowhere we could stop over to refuel.”
Bello confirmed that the trip would be financed by businesswoman Loida Nicolas Lewis, Starbucks franchisee Eduardo Lopez, a Filipino businessman, and two Chinese businessmen that he refused to identify.
“We are not conflicted. The trip is unofficial,” Bello said.
“This is a patriotic activity. We went to the businessmen and appealed to them if they could fund the trip to stress that the contested Spratlys belong to the Philippines.”
Baguilat and Aglipay had said the mission was a response to a resolution filed by Bello and Bag-ao urging the House to make an inquiry, in aid of legislation, to rename the South China Sea to West Philippine Sea.
Baguilat urged Belmonte not to make a fuss about the trip.
“There is nothing wrong with Filipino congressmen and congresswomen going to the Spratlys to do what’s right,” he said.
“Legally and historically, the Spratly Islands belong to the Philippines.”
Bello insisted the trip was unofficial, but the entourage would include Palawan Gov. Baham Mitra, Navy Gen. Juancho Sabban, chief of the Western Command, and Rommel Bito-onon, the mayor of the Kalayaan Group of Islands. With Eric A. Apolonio
