MANILA: The Philippines has filed a protest against what it describes as the “provocative and illegal” deployment of Chinese ships around Ayungin Shoal, which is part of the Kalayaan Island Group off Palawan.
“On May 10, we filed with the Chinese embassy in Manila our protest on the provocative and illegal presence of Chinese government ships (two CMS and one warship) around Ayungin Shoal,” Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said.
Hernandez said Ayungin Shoal is an integral part of the Philippine national territory. It is located 105.77 nautical miles from Palawan and constitutes part of the 200 nautical miles of the Philippine continental shelf under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
“We have already told them our position regarding these vessels which have intruded in our exclusive economic zone,” Hernandez said.
The Philippines called on China to respect the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines over its continental shelf, including the waters around the shoal.
“China’s interference with the sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea is a violation of international law particularly UNCLOS, the United Nations Charter and the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea),” Hernandez said.
“The fishing vessels are still there and they go around the place and that is why we have been asking the Chinese authorities to respect our sovereign rights over our exclusive economic zone because the resources in our exclusive economic zones are meant for the Filipino people,” he said.
Chinese fishing vessels reportedly encroached on Ayungin Reef and began erecting metal and rope structures there.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin also revealed a Chinese naval ship has been escorting fishing boats involved in illegal fishing off Ayungin Reef.
“They (Chinese fishermen) have activities there… they are fishing inside our (territory),” Gazmin said when asked about the presence of Chinese vessels in the reef.
“They are escorted by a naval ship,” he added.
Gazmin said the China flags they were flying identified the vessels.
Gazmin said the government could file a diplomatic protest to resolve the matter peacefully.
Navy chief Vice Adm Jose Luis Alano confirmed the presence of foreign fishing vessels in Ayungin Reef.
“There are several (foreign vessels) in the area. We are still trying to validate how many and where exactly they are but they have also fishing boats there. We have fishing boats there,” he said.
Ayungin Reef is one of the areas occupied by the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), the subject of a long-standing territorial row in the region.
Last week, a Chinese ship chased a utility boat of Kalayaan Island town with 147 civilians that included the group of town mayor Eugenio Bito-onon.
The Chinese vessel reportedly started chasing the Queen Seagull utility boat while it was passing by Ayungin Reef yesterday.
Bito-onon said the Chinese vessel, which came from the eastern side of the reef, used its powerful floodlights and sailed toward their boat several times.
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
