The Philippines will file a diplomatic protest against China if it is proven that there was “militarization” in the Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said on Monday. In a news briefing after the turnover ceremony of the Philippine Army’s Special Operations Command (SOCOM), Lorenzana recalled that the Chinese government had committed not to militarize any of the reclaimed islands where the Fiery Cross Reef is also located.“Our stand here is that we will register our protest through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) because I know for a fact that the Chinese government said sometime ago that they are not going to militarize those reclaimed islands,” he told reporters.

Reyes, D. (2018, January 9). PH to protest China island 'militarization'. The Manila Times, p. A2.