Philippines has rights to remove Scarborough Shoal floating barrier —NSC

The National Security Council (NSC) said Monday the Philippines has rights to remove the floating barrier allegedly installed by China in Scarborough Shoal.

In a televised public briefing, NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya cited the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruling in 2016.

“Maliwanag na maliwanag po iyong 2016 arbitral ruling kung saan itong Scarborough Shoal ay may karapatan ang ating mga mangingisdang makapagpangisda diyan ever since mula pa centuries ago,” he said.

(The 2016 arbitral ruling was very clear that our fishermen have the right to fish in Scarborough Shoal ever since centuries ago.)

“Maliwag po ang international law diyan, ang UNCLOS diyan at may karapatan ang ating bansa na tanggalin iyang nilagay ng Chinese Coast Guard,” he added.

(International laws like UNCLOS were clear that our country has the right to remove the floating barrier installed by the Chinese Coast Guard.)

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Sunday reported that a 300-meter floating barrier was placed along the Scarborough Shoal on Friday, which prevented Filipino fishermen from entering the area.

The PCG said three Chinese Coast Guard rigid hull inflatable boats and a Chinese maritime militia service boat installed the floating barrier upon arrival of the personnel from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in the vicinity of the shoal.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri on Sunday asked the PCG to cut and remove the floating barrier.

“I would like to request our PCG to immediately cut and remove all these illegal structures located at our West Philippine Sea not just to assert our sovereign rights to the area but to protect our fishermen from any possible accidents that may arise from these illegal structures,” Zubiri said.

PCG spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela said National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF WPS) and President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. will be the ones who will decide if the floating barrier will be removed.

“We gave the report already to the NTF-WPS wherein the Department of Justice, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of National Defense are all part of this inter-agency task force and chaired by the National Security Adviser,” he said.

“Should the NTF-WPS recommend to the President kung ano man ang gagawin nating action dito (whatever the action is), the PCG, BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources], and even the Armed Forces of the Philippines will comply kung ano man ang magiging desisyon dito ng ating (whatever the decision is of our) national government,” he added.

Malaya, who is also a spokesperson of the NTF WPS, said they are waiting for the response from the President on the matter.

“Sa ngayon po ay inaantay po namin kung ano ang magiging tugon ng ating Pangulo doon sa report na inihanda ng NSC (Right now, we are still waiting for the response of the President on NSC’s report,” he said.

Tarriela said, aside from being within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone (EEZ), the Scarborough Shoal is considered a rock, which generates a territorial sea of 12 nautical miles.

“This is a rock, in short, meron din tayong territorial sea o sovereignty sa 12 nautical miles na gini-generate ng Bajo de Masinloc. It is not just EEZ but we have territorial sea over this,” he said.

(This is a rock, in short, we also have a territorial sea or sovereignty of 12 nautical miles, which was generated from Bajo de Masinloc. It is not just EEZ but we have territorial sea over this).—AOL, GMA Integrated News