Manila says it’s not ruling out Chinese island-building at Scarborough Shoal

THE PHILIPPINES is not ruling out possible Chinese island-building activity at Scarborough Shoal, Manila’s Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. said on Thursday, as tensions escalate between the two nations over the contested South China Sea.

- By Kenneth Christiane L. Basilio and Adrian H. Halili Reporters

Mr. Teodoro said China’s repeated reference to Scarborough as Huang-yan Island may be a strategic narrative aimed to justify future island-building, as he urged stronger deterrence against such moves.

“Why are they calling that an island when it’s a shoal?” He told reporters in Filipino on the sidelines of a business forum. “That’s why I’m no longer holding back. We need to intensify our deterrence efforts with ourallies and ramp up our legal initiatives against them”

The Chinese Embassy in Manila did not immediately reply to a Viber message seeking comment.

The Philippines’ top Defense official’s remark was the latest rebuke by the Southeast Asian nation against Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea, where overlapping assertions have fueled repeated maritime run-ins and heightened regional tensions.

China has already built manmade islands on some submerged features in the strategic waterway, outfitting them with runways, hangars, radar systems and ports that could bolster its naval presence in the energy-rich waters.