The Philippine Navy denied Monday China’s claim that it has occupied Sandy Cay, which it calls Tiexian Reef, in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson for the WPS, said the claim is meant to divert the attention of the public amid allegations of Chinese spies and an alleged troll farm hired by the Chinese Embassy in Manila in 2023.
“We checked together with the Coast Guard, the Navy, the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines), the BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources), and other agencies. Nothing was found there, and we were able to debunk what they were claiming that they had a picture,” Trinidad said in an interview.
This came after China claimed that it seized control of Sandy Cay, which is part of the Spratly Islands.
Trinidad said authorities also saw around four Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels and 19 maritime militia near Sandy Cay.
“Some CCG and maritime militia vessels were spotted, but they have always been there because Sandy Cay is close to Pag-asa Island,” he added.
Trinidad also assured the public that Philippine authorities are continuously monitoring Sandy Cay.
Earlier, the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) explained that the Inter-Agency Maritime Operation (IAMO) reinforces the Philippine authorities’ routine and lawful exercise of maritime domain awareness and jurisdiction over the WPS.
“The statement of NTF-WPS yesterday proves that China’s statement that it already occupied the Pagasa cays is not actually factual,” PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela said in an interview.
“The Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine National Police-Maritime Group went to Pag-asa Cay 1, Cay 2, and Cay 3 early Sunday morning with the Philippine flag. This act is clear evidence that the narrative of China is only intended to counter our factual narrative that we can visit these cays.” He added.
Tarriela further said that the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) is not “permanently occupying” Sandy Cay.
On Sunday, Beijing’s state media reported that CCG had already implemented “maritime control” over the Tiexian Reef— a tiny sandbank, part of the Spratly Islands.
The report said CCG landed on Sandy Cay to “exercise sovereignty and jurisdiction” over the reef, carry out an “inspection” and “collect video evidence regarding the illegal activities of the Philippine side.”
