source: www.interaksyon.com
MANILA,
Philippines - Two days before China comes out with its official maps that
highlight territories in South China Sea, which are also being claimed by the
Philippines, Spanish Ambassador to Manila Jorge Domecq said his country was
wiliing to turn over to the Philippines some 70 of the latter's historical
maps.
Domecq
made the annoucement on Tuesday at the sidelines of the sixth Tribuna
España-Filipinas, a high-dialogue between the two countries held at the AIM
Conference Center in Makati City.
During
the event, Domecq was asked what could Spain contribute to further strengthen
the Philippines' claim over the disputed territories in the West Philippine Sea
(South China Sea) given that Madrid and Manila shared hundreds of years of
historical heritage.
“I
think that is something that you probably have to dig into the archives… I can
send it to you, where you have around 70 maps, which are a private collection,
and then you can draw your conclusion," Domecq replied.
Sen.
Edgardo Angara, also owns a vast collection of Philippine maps dating back to
Spanish colonial times, which include an old map showing that Scarborough
(Panatag or Bajo de Masinloc) Shoal belongs to the Philippines. China refers to
the rock fomation as Huangyan Island.
According
to Angara, it is clear that the shoal is part of the Philippines' cartography
during the Spanish colonial area. The senator said there is map made in 1734
that shows that Panatag was already part of the Phillippine Islands, which was
then under Spanish colonial rule.
China
has been firm on its stand that it owns the entire South China Sea, citing its
historical inheritance and the nine-dash-line on its ancient map.
But
a senior official from the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), who
requested anonimity for lack of authority to speak on the matter, said that
with or without the old maps from Spain, the Philippines would win its case
against China.
Earlier
this month, the Philippines filed a case against China over its excessive
territorial claims before the Arbitral Tribunal of the United Nations
Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
“China’s
claim is not base on the Unclos, it is base allegedly on some other laws. Ours
is an entitlement, therefore legally, we have territorial sovereignty [over the
West Philippine Sea]. So between the two of us, I don’t have the burden of
truth, you [China] have the burden of truth,” the senior DFA official told
InterAksyon.com in an interview on Tuesday.
According
to the DFA official, the Philippines is entitled to the 200-nautical-mile
exclusive economic zone provided by the Unclos.
“We
are the one who has entitlement, theirs are [just] claims. We don’t have to
prove ourselves...the law already proved it. They are the ones with a claim
that’s not base on a written law, but on their own concept of laws, so why put
a burden on me [Philippines]?,” the official said.
China
is set to come out with its new official maps showing the 130 islands and
islets of the South China Sea or the nine-dash-line claims, including the
islands and waters that the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia also
claim.
The
new maps, which for the first time put the disputed islands in South China Sea
in equal scale to that of the Chinese mainland, are published by China's
national map publisher SinoMaps Press and will be available to the public by
end of January this year. The maps also feature islands in East China Sea being
claimed by Japan.
DFA
spokesman Raul Hernandez on Tuesday said the department was still waiting for
the Philippine Embassy in Beijing to verify the existence of the new map
highlighting the disputed territories.
“As
we have said, we are still asking our embassy in Beijing for verification
regarding the map and the extent of the coverage of the map,” Hernandez told
reporters.
He
said the DFA would "act accordingly" as soon as it sees the new China
maps and the extent of their coverage.
If
the maps cover parts of the Philippine territory the DFA will again "file
a protest" against China’s action, according to Hernandez.
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