Kalayaan belongs to Phl – Palace

China has no reason to protest the construction of a school in Kalayaan town in Palawan since the Philippines has long occupied the island, Malacañang said yesterday.

Speaking to reporters, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the government would continue to provide education to children living in Kalayaan.

“They are Filipinos,” he said. “The President has mentioned no one should be left behind. We will provide them services.”

Lacierda said the Philippines will continue to

build permanent structures in Kalayaan town.

“I think it is irresponsibility on our part if we do not provide services to our fellow Filipinos in that particular municipality,” he said.

Lacierda said the Department of Education would look into the needs of the Pag-asa Elementary School in Barangay Pag-asa in Kalayaan.

“We already have a municipality in Kalayaan and it’s under the province of Palawan and it’s been there for some time,” he said.

“China may say whatever they want. That’s something beyond us. But we know what our position is...

“The municipality has been there and it’s never been questioned. It has been under the province of Palawan since the time of Marcos, I think. So that should not be an issue.”

On Tuesday, China warned the Philippines against the operation of a public elementary school on Pag-asa island.

A Chinese foreign ministry spokesman said China “opposes any illegal activity that may infringe on China’s sovereignty.”

However, the government said the Kalayaan Island Group, including Pag-asa, is an integral part of Philippine territory as declared in Republic Act 9522 defining the archipelagic baselines of the Philippines, and other relevant Philippine laws.

Claiming the Kalayaan Island Group ( Spratlys) are Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan, and Vietnam. All except Brunei occupy some of the islands.

The Philippines occupies Pag-asa island.