Palace: China expected to pull ships out of shoal after exit of PHL boats

In the wake of the pullout of Philippine government ships from Panatag Shoal, China is expected to do the same, according to Palace spokesperson Abigail Valte. “(Foreign) Secretary (Albert) Del Rosario already said there’s an arrangement to that effect, that’s what we’re waiting for,” she said. Under cover of bad weather off northwestern Luzon, President Aquino ordered the two Philippine ships out of the area last Friday night as storm waves made sailing there foolhardy. The withdrawal has made it easier for China to order its "law enforcement" vessels to leave the shoal without losing face or appearing like a concession. China reportedly has seven government ships outside the lagoon core of the shoal, while at least 20 fishing boats are inside the lagoon, a possible violation of the indefinite fishing ban at the shoal both countries imposed separately. China's response to the Philippine withdrawal will influence the Philippines' decision about re-deploying its ships to the shoal. PHL ships to return? At least five government agencies, including the Office of the President, will reevaluate whether to redeploy Philippine government ships to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal once the weather there improves, Malacañang said on Sunday. Presidential spokesperson Valte, however, insisted President Aquino's order to the Philippine ships to withdraw from the area is not connected to the Philippine-China standoff. “The reason for the pullout was to make sure the Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources personnel will not be in danger. There’s nothing else to that but the safety of PCG and BFAR personnel,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Last Friday night, Aquino ordered the PCG and BFAR ships in the disputed area to head to port, citing bad weather conditions brought by Typhoon Butchoy (Guchol). The Department of Foreign Affairs said a reevaluation of the situation will be conducted once the weather situation in the area improves. Valte said at least five agencies will take part in the reevaluation, including the defense and foreign affairs departments. Asked what the particular concerns are in the reevaluation process, Valte said: "It is something we will have to refer to the Department of Foreign Affairs.” “[The talking points] will also depend what sort of presence you need in that area. It’s not the only part of our coastline we need to be monitoring. Once the weather improves according to Secretary of Foreign Affairs Albert del Rosario, there will be a reevaluation of the situation,” she said. Two-month standoff The shoal has been the site of a standoff between the Philippines and China since April. The tension began when Philippine forces spotted Chinese fishermen gathering marine species from the area, but were blocked by Chinese vessels when they tried to make arrests. Before Philippine authorities could make arrests, Chinese ships blocked their way, resulting in a tense standoff. China claims the shoal is part of its territory, calling it Huangyan Island. The disputed coral reef area lies 124 nautical miles from the western Luzon coast. The Philippines has long considered it part of its territory based on traditional use and has also called it Bajo de Masinloc, after the town in Zambales province that claims it as part of its municipality. Based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the the shoal is well within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone. Despite its being a signatory to the UNCLOS, China claims ownership of the marine area which is 470 nautical miles from its nearest Hainan province. Both the Philippines and China imposed indefinite fishing bans in the area last month, ostensibly for environmental reasons. But both countries want to avoid a situation where either country's forces arrest the other's fishermen to enforce their claim on the shoal, essentially uninhabited rocks protruding from the sea. The Philippine vessels had been stationed there to stand guard face-to-face with several "law enforcement" ships from China in a tense standoff that has dragged on for over two months. — LBG/HS, GMA News