Gov’t welcomes joint naval exercises in WPS

Malacañang on Friday welcomed the joint naval exercises being planned by the United States, Japan, and India near the West Philippine Sea (WPS) saying that such activities show the importance of freedom of navigation.

“This emphasizes the importance of maintaining freedom of navigation in the West Philippine Sea,” Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.

“It is also a recognition by the community of nations of the importance of global commerce and consequent necessity of maintaining stability in the area,” he said.

Such military exercises have irked China in the past, with the Philippines filing an arbitration case against China to resolve the territorial dispute.

The Palace has time and again called on China to respect international law as well as the upcoming decision of the Arbitral Tribunal on the case lodged by the Philippines in The Hague.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier said China will “not participate” in the case filed by the Philippines on the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea/ South China Sea.

He also accused the Philippines of “political provocation” when it filed the case before the international tribunal, adding that it was “irresponsible to the Filipino people and the future of the Philippines.”

The Philippines initiated the arbitral proceedings before the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague on January 22, 2013 pertaining to the territorial dispute with China on the West Philippine Sea South China Sea.

On March 30, 2014, the Philippines submitted a Memorial addressing both the merits of its claims and the Tribunal’s jurisdiction.

Both China and the Philippines are claimants to the disputed Spratly group of islands aside from Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan. The said area is believed to contain substantial undersea oil reserves.

The Tribunal expects to render its Award on the merits and remaining jurisdictional issues within this year.