By “thanking” China for establishing a rescue center on Kagitingan Reef, Malacañang has virtually surrendered the Philippines’ claim to the disputed feature in the Spratly archipelago, according to Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano. “Why should we be grateful to those who are stealing our territory?” the former Marine captain said on Friday. “Allowing China to occupy a highly contested reef is in itself act of surrendering. What they are doing is an outright assertion of dominance,” Alejano said.

Yap, D. (2019, February 2). Alejano: Palace virtually surrendered PH claim to Kagitingan. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A7.