Panelo says harassment of Pinoy-crewed ship near Scarborough Shoal does not concern PHL

The Chinese Coast Guard's harassment of a crude oil tanker manned by Filipino crewmen off Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal) last month does not concern the Philippines because the ship was not a Philippine vessel, Malacañang said Sunday.

On September 30, the Filipino captain of the tanker Green Aura said that they were harassed by a Chinese vessel that introduced itself as a “naval warship” as they sailed near the shoal, which is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone.

“In a way, it does not concern us because it’s not a Philippine vessel,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a press conference in Thailand during the 35th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit. “For as long as they do not touch a Philippine ship or vessel, it will be the concern of that country that carries the flag of that particular vessel.”

Panelo added that the incident will have no effect on talks to draft a Code of Conduct regarding the highly disputed South China Sea.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana earlier said the incident must not be “blown out of proportion or sensationalized,” but urged the Chinese government to “respect international maritime laws.”

Panelo said China should agree with Lorenzana’s statement because “China itself says that we should respect international law.”

Claims over Scarborough

According to Captain Manolo Ebora of the Green Aura oil tanker, which is Greek-owned and bears the flag of Liberia, they were within 12 nautical miles of Scarborough Shoal when they received a radio call from a Chinese vessel asking them to keep away from the shoal.

Ebora defied the coast guard's order and the ship continued on its way. 

A landmark ruling in 2016 by the Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China’s “nine-dash line” claim over many parts of the South China Sea. 

The same ruling also stated that the Scarborough Shoal is “a traditional fishing ground for fishermen of many nationalities and that China has unlawfully prevented Filipino fishermen from engaging in traditional fishing thereat.”

On Saturday, President Rodrigo Duterte urged the ASEAN to peacefully resolve the long-standing South China Sea dispute. — Julia Mari Ornedo/BM, GMA News