Senator Risa Hontiveros called for a legislative probe to find out if Filipinos or local companies have colluded with China in reclaiming and militarizing several reefs in the West Philippine Sea.

On Tuesday, September 1, the opposition senator filed Senate Resolution No. 509, seeking to “investigate possible collaboration and collusion by entities within the Philippines in the construction of China’s artificial islands and military installations in the West Philippine Sea.”

“It’s been recently revealed that Chinese companies that participate in the building of military islands in the West Philippine Sea have projects with the Philippine government, so it is not hard to suspect dubious engagement by either party,” Hontiveros said in a statement. (READ: Duterte refuses to stop projects of China firms linked to island-building)

“Ano pa ang hindi natin alam? Iyan ang gusto natin imbestigahan at maitigil (What else do we not know? That is what we want to investigate and put a stop to),” the senator added. 

Noting allegations that soil, sand, and other materials taken from the Philippines were used by China to reclaim reefs in the West Philippine Sea, Hontiveros said it would have been impossible without collusion with entities within the Philippines.

“Who are these traitors? This should be investigated immediately, and anyone found to have colluded with foreign powers to militarize the West Philippine Sea should be penalized,” the senator said.

Hontiveros said the probe should look into mining companies that may have extracted and transported construction materials for China’s reclamation projects.

China has militarized its artificial islands by installing long-range sensor rays, port facilities, runways, bunkers for fuel and weapons, and barracks for military personnel. These structures are visible from satellite images of the area.

“It is alarming that the island bases have put the Philippine archipelago within range of Chinese combat aircraft and bombers. This is a clear threat to our national security,” she pointed out, adding that these bases also enable Chinese maritime militias to prowl Philippine waters and harass Filipino mariners.

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Harassment of Filipino fishers by Chinese vessels have significantly reduced the local catch, gravely threatening the survival of many poor Filipinos in coastal communities.

China has reclaimed and militarized 7 reefs among the Spratly Islands off Palawan, in an area the Philippines claims as sovereign territory.

Chinese vessels also maintain a constant presence in and around Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off Zambales, which lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. An international arbitral tribunal declared it an international fishing commons, which means China cannot lay a claim of ownership over it.

Hontiveros said Filipinos must not be deterred from asserting their sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea, as affirmed by an international court of arbitration in July 2016.

The arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s sweeping claim over the West Philippine Sea has no basis in international maritime law. – Rappler.com