The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it deployed one of its vessels, the BRP Teresa Magbanua, off Escoda Shoal to combat illegal fishing and protect the country's sovereign rights.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesman, stated after China reportedly lodged a formal protest over the presence of the ship in Escoda Shoal, a coral reef formation just some 70 nautical miles off mainland Palawan.
“Our Philippine Coast Guard vessels have the right to operate within the lagoon of Escoda Shoal for as long as necessary, without requiring permission from any other country,” Tarriela said.
In an X post, Tarriela noted that Escoda Shoal is deep within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, citing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 arbitral award.
He also advised China to stop citing the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea in its statements “as they have not honored or followed a single provision of that declaration.”
“As far as the region is concerned, only Beijing constantly violates this declaration. They have been deploying their large Coast Guard vessels there, complemented by their numerous Chinese Maritime Militia,” Tarriela said.
He also noted China’s deployment of naval assets in Escoda Shoal, which " undermines stability in these waters and contributes to escalating tensions.”
“Moreover, the Philippine Coast Guard has deployed there not to provoke or escalate tensions; rather, it aims to protect and safeguard our sovereign rights over these waters, particularly against illegal poachers engaged in IUUF (Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing) and activities that damage our marine environment,” he said.
The 97-meter multi-role response vessel BRP Teresa Magbanua, PCG’s most expensive vessel and one of its largest ships, was deployed mid-April amid reported reclamation attempts of China, part of its aggressive expansionism in the WPS and the entire South China Sea.
Commentaires