The Spratlys Issue - by lovephileo
Above : Range of chinese missiles if they were succesful in acquiring the spratlys. Notice Metro Manila and nearly half of the country would be on their range. If that were the case for Philippine security the capital would probably have to be moved to Cebu city.
Below : Pentagon warns that China is adding missiles and building capacity to fight abroad. A threat to our Kalayaan Island group in the south China Sea.
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The spratlys, which includes the Kalayaan Group, is a cluster of mineral-rich islet and reefs being claimed in whole and in part by China, Vietnam, Taiwan, The Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
Malacanang has long made known its position to exclude the island from the baselines bill and to treat them instead as a "regime of island" to avert renewed tension in the region.
Establishing the country's baselines was imperative after the adoption in 1982 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the seas (UNCLOS) which allows countries to claim a 300-mile extended contimental shelf Kalayaan, the Chinese and Vietnamese occupied portion, will not be included in the baseline to avoid going into war with China and Vietnam.
However, debate over the pending baseline bill is complicating. Ferdinand Marcos jr, will be filing today a new Philippine territories baselines bill ( a new version ) that exclude the spratleys or Kalayaan Group and the Scarborough Shoa, believing would make the country's maritine markings "stronger" since it would be less prone to questioning by the international community. His father and namesake, the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos, issued presidential decree that declared the Kalayaan Group Philippine territory in 1978. The deposed president also pursued the country's claim to Sabah. The HB 3216 (old bill) violates the UNCLOS and this nullify the country's baselines. HB 3216 encloses the Kalayaan Group and Scarborough Shoal on the baselines along with the main archipelago. Malacanang stresses that the country needs to comply with the requirements of the UNCLOS according to the terms the Convention itself sets.
Now, if the Chinese or the Vietnamese object in the future, let the future takes care of itself.
Links: Spratleys Island
http://www.inquirer.net/map_api/spratlys/