MANILA, Philippines—President Rodrigo Duterte has ordered the Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (Ceza) to set aside a portion of Fuga Island in Cagayan province for use as a base by the Philippine Navy. Last week, Ceza issued a statement denying that Chinese investors were planning to take over the 10,000-hectare island located in the country’s second northernmost island group. “It is like a dagger pointed at the very heart of the country,” Enrile said. A few months after Fuga Island caught the attention of the public, the Philippine Navy signed a memorandum of agreement with Ceza allowing the Navy to build a base on the island. The Fuga Island group is composed of three islands—Fuga, Mabbag and Barit—all of which are part of Aparri in Cagayan.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 10, 2020 08:38 UTC