China on Monday claimed sovereignty over Pag-asa Island and defended its presence near it, after a Philippine Navy vessel conducting a resupply mission warned off a Chinese navy ship shadowing it late last week.
A sandbar near Pag-asa Island was found to be full of dead and crushed corals, which experts say is a common procedure done by China before it starts reclamation activities.
Senator Jinggoy Estrada on Monday brought before the Senate plenary the dire situation of residents living in Pag-asa Island and appealed for better government services for the people in the remote area.