An event to watch out for

President Duterte ordered the military to occupy and fortify all Philippine-held islands in the disputed West Philippine Sea to assert the country’s territorial claims amid what he says is a race to control territory in the area. “We try to be friends with everybody, but we have to maintain our jurisdiction now, at least over the areas under our control,” he said during a visit to a military camp in western Palawan (“Philippines to fortify Spratly islands it occupies,” Inquirer.net, 4/7/17). Mr. Duterte said he ordered the armed forces to occupy and place Philippine flags on all islands, reefs and shoals controlled by the Philippines.

We can see that although there’s a new development warning of or indicating Chinese intrusions into Philippine territory, the President continues to mend ties with China, which were strained during the previous administration.

The recent order to occupy Philippine-held West Philippine Sea islands, reefs, shoals and the like is one good move that may be cited to dispute the impeachment complaint filed against Mr. Duterte for his failure to protest China’s intrusions into the West Philippine Sea, among other allegations. It looks now like there’s a race to grab possession of islands. Indeed, what is ours is ours and on this we must emphatically make a point by holding on to what is ours.

Meanwhile, he said he will rename Benham Rise, a resource-rich undersea region off the country’s northeast coast, into Philippine Ridge.

But what matters right now is the military positioning in those contested areas. The government can do this by prepositioning infrastructure—that is by building bunkers or houses for habitation, with provisions. If this is approved by the President, the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines should put up barracks for soldiers, water (desalination) and sewage systems, power (conventional and renewable) generators, lighthouses, and shelters for fishermen.

The President said he may visit one of the islands, Pagasa, and raise the Philippine flag there on Independence Day. He said a budget has been set aside to repair the runway on Pagasa, home to a small fishing community and Filipino troops. The DND and AFP are just waiting for the President’s order regarding the flag-raising or any show of jurisdiction.

There is a good story to watch out for. Will this happen or not?

VIOLET PEACHY E. SIUAGAN, vpesiuagan@gmail.com