Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana rejected on Tuesday the observations of a United States-based think tank which said that the presence of Chinese boats allegedly disguised as militias was among the factors why development works in Pagasa Island in the West Philippine Sea face continuous delay. Lorenzana maintained that the natural features of the island and the bad weather made it hard for the contractor to finish the development of a beaching ramp and runway in Pagasa Island. “There was a big problem at the initial stage of the Pagasa rehabilitation project,” Lorenzana told reporters. He explained that the seabed – the ocean floor or the ground under the sea – where the beaching ramp was to be built was found to be “so hard” that the contractors had to bring in an appropriate drilling equipment.

Sadongdong, M. (2020, March 11). Lorenzana: Pagasa Island dev't delay not due to Chinese boats. Tempo, p. 2.