Lorenzana: How do we treat a state willing to militarily defend its interests?

Defense Minister Delfin Lorenzana on Monday rejected the recent survey of social weather stations showing that 9 out of 10 Filipinos want the Philippines to return to the Philippine Sea Islands . "The problem with the investigation is that it has elements to criticize the government in a bad light," Lorenzana told reporters. "That's why I questioned the survey that was done with only 90% of Filipinos wanting to take back our EEZ [exclusive economic zone] – it should be 100 percent."

The A recent survey, conducted from June 27 to 30, found that 87 percent of Filipinos said it was important that the Philippines recover the artificial islands controlled by China that they had seizures.

An earlier Pulse Asia survey also revealed that 80% of Filipinos did not agree with the country's foreign policy on the territorial dispute with China.

"If I had to do an investigation, I would separate the two: the WPS and approve of the government's action," Lorenzana said.

"Has the President abandoned our claim? No, listen to his speeches. He would be dismissed if he did," he said, pointing out that no island or reef controlled by the Philippines had been lost by China in the time of President Rodrigo Duterte.

"The Chinese never took any of our occupied islands, they took the unoccupied reefs and turned them into islands, and if we had been wiser, we could have occupied these reefs also when we had occupied the 9 islands in the 70s. "How to solve the problem with a regional power ready to defend its interests militarily? [It’s easy to say:] & # 39; Asserting our rights and our sovereignty & # 39; Question is how? "The empty victory"

The Duterte administration is criticized for failing to raise the 2016 arbitral award that invalidates China's claims in the Nine-Dash line, in exchange for investments economic. from China. But Lorenzana said the president could not be accused of inaction.

"After his bilateral talks with President Xi [Jinping] our fishermen returned to Panatag to fish, we can restock our troops on our islands without interference". I said. "An agreement has been reached that the two sides can not take on any new functions and no one has done so up to now, and there is talk of joint development of oil and gas resources in the region. region .Tourism and trade flourished, especially the export of agricultural products. "

Last month, the media reported the alleged harassment of Filipino fishermen by the Chinese Coast Guard in Scarborough Shoal taking their best taken, but the government rejected "

Lorenzana said that while the former administration of President Benigno Aquino III had brought China to the Permanent Court of Arbitration and had finally won, he did not There was no mechanism for applying the historic decision, he said. "We won, but it's an empty victory: the Chinese will not leave our EEZ and will continue to assert their historical rights over the areas of the Nine-Dash line. "

But Lorenzana said that he believed the president"

"The President invoked it in front of President Xi during their bilateral talks saying that he would raise it during his term of office, "he said.

"There are many ways to do it. The president chose a different strategy from the previous confrontation strategy. The key is: are we getting good results? You bet him, he adds.

The "wrongdoing" of China

While he wants to take over some of China's occupied functions, the Secretary of Defense wants to be more careful with China

. Reef (Panganiban Reef) – one of the Chinese-controlled islands removed in 1995 – is in the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Part of the ruling stated that the Philippines has sovereign rights over it and that it is the only state that can set up structures there.

"Of course, I also want the Chinese to leave," said Lorenzana. "But tell me how to do it when the Chinese are ready to defend it militarily? In fact, it is now garrisoned with troops and defensive weapons. Let's be pragmatic." / Atm

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