A think tank has called on the Philippine government to remain steadfast in asserting the country’s sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, in light of China’s recent aggressive actions that resulted in the collision of its ships.
In a statement released late Wednesday, Stratbase ADR Institute president Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to “stand firm in asserting our sovereign rights and ensuring the safety of our fisherfolk, military, and Coast Guard personnel in our waters.”
The think tank condemned the illegal and aggressive actions in Bajo de Masinloc, a territory of the Philippines as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award. Manhit stated that China’s disregard for binding legal instruments “is a direct affront to the international system and undermines the very principles that ensure peace, stability, and safety at sea.”
“This latest incident is a stark reminder of the urgent need to uphold international law and defend the rules-based order against those who deliberately and repeatedly violate it,” he emphasized. The Stratbase Institute highlighted the importance of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Manhit called for enhanced cooperation with like-minded partners to deter aggression and uphold a free, open, rules-based Indo-Pacific. “With international law on our side, the Marcos Jr. administration must stand firm in its commitment not to surrender ‘a single square inch of our territory’ and strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners to deter further acts of aggression and promote a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific,” he asserted.
On August 11, two Chinese vessels collided while attempting to chase the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406), which was conducting routine humanitarian operations for Filipino fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc. The PCG ship was accompanying a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel to distribute aid to local fisherfolk when it was pursued by the China People’s Liberation Army Navy ship 164 and China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3104.
The BRP Suluan successfully evaded the pursuing Chinese vessels, which ultimately collided with one another.