Lorenzana says Philippines can’t do anything if China sends planes to reclaimed islands

April 20, 2018

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana admitted that the Philippine cannot do anything if China sends planes to reclaimed islands in the South China Sea.

“We can’t do anything if they send military transport planes. They have a runway, and they can use it,” he said in an ambush interview after the military's change of command ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo on Wednesday.

Lorenzana give his comment after a newspaper published a photo showing the presence of the two Chines military transport planes in Mischief Reef.

Lorenzana failed to confirm the veracity of the photo saying he does not know where it came from.

“We don’t know that yet. I just saw it on the newspaper... We haven’t seen that. We don’t know where it came from,” he said.

“I cannot confirm it because we have no visual,” Lorenzana added when asked if the photo was really on Mischief reef.

Lorenzana reiterated the DND is against the militarization of the features in the South China Sea.

“We are vocal that we are against that. And we will ask the foreign affairs to make a note verbale, a protest on why they are militarizing that. But the Chinese has been saying that their militarization there is just defensive,” he said. Robina Asido/DMS