Philippines will thank China someday for the artificial island the latter built at the Spratlys, according to Harry Roque
Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque stated that there will come a time that the Philippines will thank China.
This is for the reason that the artificial islands built by the Asian giant at the disputed Spratly group of islands will be beneficial to the Filipinos.
On the other hand, it is in the context that if ever the Chinese will voluntarily leave the said area.
“Clearly, eventually, those artificial islands will be ours if we can ask China to leave the islands,” he said based on the article published in CNN Philippines.
He added that in the first place, only Filipinos have the right to build those islands and not the Chinese government.
Filipinos will just have to wait if the Chinese will leave the area peacefully because the country of Juan Dela Cruz cannot afford to wage war against the giant country.
This is the stance of President Rodrigo Duterte which Roque iterated.
“When we took an antagonistic stance against China, my clients — fishermen from Zambales, Pangasinan — were not able to fish in Scarborough and now they are able to fish,” the Presidential Spokesman pointed out.
Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague already awarded to the Philippines the South China Sea that lie within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone in July 2016. Included to this right is the Spratly Islands.
On the other hand, China did not acknowledge this and it is still claiming otherwise.
The Asian giant claims almost the whole South China Sea.
Prior to the statement of Roque about the possibility that Filipinos will thank the Chinese someday, photos where obtained showing that the Asian giant has already finished seven reefs in the area claimed by the Philippines.
The Presidential Spokesman said that the Palace is counting on to the promise of China that it will not conduct further reclamation activity nor build more structures on the said area, based on the article.