Gov’t will not militarize Pagasa Island: Lorenzana

June 3, 2020

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana assures that the government will not militarize  Pagasa Island.

"In defending our islands there, we will not militarize our islands there. We will not bring in military equipment to defend it because I don't think there is any threat of attack of our, of Pagasa, and eight other islands. We have nine islands there in the Spratlys and all occupied by our troops," he said.

Lorenzana made his statement as he emphasized the importance of the completion of the construction of a beaching ramp in Pagasa Island.

"The completion of the beaching ramp means a big thing to us and to the people of Pagasa. It means that we can now bring in more supplies, especially in the repair of the runway, because the next project will  be the repair runway, dirt runway," he said in a television interview.

"We can now bring in material.We can bring in heavy equipment. We can also bring in construction materials to improve the living quarters of our people there and also help the people there," he added.

Lorenzana said the government can also bring in other material to improve the lives of the civilians living within the Island.

There are about 200 civilian residents in Pagasa who are all fishermen. I think we could improve their lives  because we can bring in, especially generators, because they don't have any electricity," he said.

"We can bring in heavy equipment because of the beaching ramp. Those are the benefits there" he added.

Just last week, Lorenzana confirmed that the construction of beaching ramp is 97 percent finished.

Lorenzana said when the benching ramp is completed there will be a formal turn over which will later be announced by the government.

"It will be finished in the next two weeks. After that, there will be a formal turnover, the date to be announced," he said. Robina Asido/DMS