Philippines and the Spratly Islands

Southwest Cay Invasion
Date 1975 Location Southwest Cay Result Vietnamese Capture of Southwest Cay
Belligerents
Philippines	South Vietnam

Philippines and the Spratly Islands – this article discusses the policies, activities and history of the Republic of the Philippines in the Spratly Islands from the Philippine perspective. Non-Filipino viewpoints regarding Philippine occupation of several islands are currently not included in this article.

This article often uses the Philippine names of the maritime features, rather than the international names.

The Philippines, along with Vietnam, the People's Republic of China (PRC), the Republic of China (ROC), Malaysia and Brunei, is a claimant country in the disputed Spratly Islands of the South China Sea.

Currently the Philippines are occupying and/or controlling ten features, (seven islands, three reefs):

By comparison, within the Spratly Islands:

Also, the Philippines has some features that are "virtually occupied". These are features that lie in very close proximity to Philippine-occupied features, and can be seen within the horizon. (A 15 meter-height vision gives about 9 miles (14 km) of horizon distance). These include: North Reef, Sandy Cay, Loaita Nan and Loaita Cay.

Also, most features that lie to the east of the 116°E, though not necessarily occupied, are largely controlled by the Philippines.

The Philippine assertion of sovereignty over the Spratly Islands began in May 1956, when Tomas Cloma, owner of a Philippine fishing vessel company, and director of the Philippine Maritime Institute, declared the founding of the new municipality called "Kalayaan" (English: Freedom).

He "found" the islands while he, with his brothers and 40 crew, were "adventuring" in the South China Sea. Observing that there was no human settlement, nor national flag, present on them, he decided to establish the Kalayaan municipality. He posted a document in English, entitled Notice to the Whole World, on all features he claimed. His claim comprises about fifty features among the Spratly group. In September 1956, after the Republic of China occupied the largest island, Ligao Island (Itu Aba), Cloma decided to cede and sell all the territories of his state to the Philippines for one peso (US$0.50 of the time). Cloma wrote to Carlos Garcia, then Philippine Vice President and Foreign Minister, asserting that his claim was based on "discovery and occupation". Garcia replied that judging from the point of "occupation" and "proximity", there were no reasons for these islands and reefs not to be under Philippine jurisdiction.

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Wikipedia