PHL to resist intrusions by foreigners in sea zone
THE PHILIPPINES remains committed to fighting foreign intrusions and defending its sovereignty in the South China Sea, the National Maritime Council said at the weekend.
“We stand resolute against any foreign intrusion into our maritime zones and will never cease upholding our rights and honoring our duties under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award,” it said in a statement on Saturday.
“The Philippines, while committed to the peaceful settlement of disputes and proper diplomatic approaches, will never waver in protecting its national territory and maritime domain,” it added.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. last week said the Philippines would not renege on its stance on the South China Sea despite its inability to expel China’s largest coast guard ship from its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
He noted that if the country had an aircraft carrier with destroyers, frigates and submarines, it could push the Chinese vessels away. Still, the Philippines would defend its sovereignty and territorial rights, Mr. Marcos said.
The Philippines has accused China of intimidating Filipino fishermen near Scarborough Shoal and normalizing its “illegal presence” after Beijing sent the monster ship, the world’s biggest coast guard vessel, into its EEZ on Jan. 4.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Feb. 7 said China Coast Guard (CCG) 5901 or the “monster ship” had returned near Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
It said China Coast Guard 3304 was trying to replace the monster ship, keeping its presence off the coast of Zambales at a distance of 194 kilometers.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry earlier defended the presence of Chinese vessels within the Philippine EEZ, saying the “CCG conducts patrols and law enforcement activities in relevant waters in accordance with the law, which is fully justified.”
A United Nations-backed court in the Hague voided China’s expansive claim in the South China Sea in 2016, as it ruled the shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino, Chinese and Vietnamese fishermen.
Tensions between the two nations continue to worsen, with Manila accusing Beijing last month of using a long-range acoustic device against its vessel near the Zambales coast.
During their 10th consultation, Manila and Beijing agreed to continue rotation and resupply missions to Second Thomas Shoal and sustain the de-escalation of tensions in the area, the Department of Foreign Affairs said last month.
The Philippines grounded BRP Sierra Madre, a Word War II-era vessel, at Second Thomas Shoal in 1999 to assert its sovereignty. — Kyle Aristophere T. Atienza
