Territorial Dilemma: Who Really Owns Spratly Island?

Territorial Dilemma: Who Really Owns Spratly Islands?

by Jewel Carlos Sumayo

             

                                  Countries like China, Taiwan, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines are fighting over the Spratly Islands and its hitting the headlines in the news both on air and in the broadsheets as well during the first few months of the year. So what is special with this Spratly Islands anyways and why these countries are fighting over just to have it? There are a lot of opportunities that awaits for these countries if they would win the Spratly Islands (sounds like a big hit of a jackpot isn't it?). Spratly Islands is rich with its own natural diversity, there are also rumors that is widespread that because China is interested with these islands is because of oil. In this case the United States of America (USA) as well joined in this issue by trying to back-up the Philippines, maybe Uncle Sam wanted also to enjoy the richness of oil in the Spratly Islands by using again the innocent Juan Dela Cruz.

                                 Territory is the real issue within this brawl of the Asian countries, the location of the Spratly Islands strategically speaking is really near Palawan  as claimed by the Philippines. However China, Malaysia, Taiwan and Brunei also claimed that the islands are really near their territorial zone. In this case there would be really a territorial question that will popped out, who really owns Spratly Islands? As of today there is a news that came out that the Philippines will build a pier in the disputed Spratly Islands (see full news article here). According to the news article made by  Agence France-Presse that was posted in the Global Nation part of the Inquirer.net that the Philippines will still exercise the territorial sovereignty and will build a pier in the Spratly Islands. The Department of Foreign Affiars (DFA)  of the Philippines is claiming that the pier will be built on the largest of the five Philippine-occupied islands, and that one is called Pag-asa Island. The DFA claims that the Pag-asa Island is territorial-owned by the Philippines, and the Philippines has its own right to exercise its own territorial sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea because it is within the Philippine borders. 

                                  The Philippines, sent Filipino troops already to occupy the five Spratly Islands including Pag-asa island and will group them as a town and will be called as Kalayaan group of islands (Freedom). The said pier is finalized already to be the home of an improved unload equipment for airstrips and other more facilities that the future tourists will benefit from it as well. Getting back to the question of territory, even if there is still an existing dispute for the Spratly Islands is it still okay for the Philippines if they did not consult the other countries first? Even if the Philippines is claiming already that these group of islands is officially part of the country, there are still underlying questions that needs to be addressed, and still there are other countries such as China that stands as a very important stakeholder that needs to be consulted first. 

Photo URL: http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/01/18/article-2088414-0F84066000000578-971_634x469.jpg