China not claiming Sandy Cay sandbar

President Rodrigo Duterte yesterday said he was confident that there is no truth to the report about China occupying Sandy Cay, a sandbar located about 2.5 nautical miles off Philippine-occupied Pagasa Island in the disputed South China Sea.

“China assured me that they will not build anything there. I called the Ambassador when I read (the report about China’s occupation of Sandy Cay. Zhao said). ‘We will assure you that we are not building anyway there,’” the President quoted Chinese Ambassador to the Phiilippines Zhao Jianhua as saying.

“They are not doing anything there. They are just patrolling because we’re friends. They are just there but they are not claiming anything,” Duterte told reporters late Monday.

He said there was no need to file a diplomatic protest against China as he believed “any word” he got from the Beijing officials.

“Why should I (file diplomatic protest against China)? I said, that sandbar, they are not occupying it. I have their assurance that they would not occupy everything,” he said.

“I believe any word of the (Chinese government). If they break out, I would no longer trust them. (I will only protest) when they violate our agreements – to allow Filipinos to fish there and that they will not build anything there that is near the Pagasa (Island),” he added.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has claimed that Beijing has virtually occupied Sandy Cay, a “clear violation of China’s vow not to occupy any more islands” in the disputed waters.

Carpio said two frigates, a Chinese coast guard and two military fishing boats were reportedly guarding the area.