House urged to condemn, probe into presence of Chinese vessels in West Philippine Sea
MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan bloc is urging the House of Representatives to condemn and investigate the presence of 220 Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
“The position and deployment of the Chinese vessels may lead to another level of disrespect to Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, as well as heightened aggression,” the six lawmakers warned in House Resolution No. 1675.
The progressive lawmakers in the House fear that the presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, may eventually result in Beijing establishing a military base there, as it has done in seven reefs Manila claims.
READ: Makabayan bloc urges House to condemn and probe the presence of 200 Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/9X3m0oQqIE
— Xave Gregorio (@XaveGregorio) March 25, 2021
The reef is located northeast of Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs about 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.
The lawmakers also scored the “passive stance” of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on the 2016 ruling by a Hague-based tribunal which voided China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. Beijing continues to reject this ruling.
“The failure of the Duterte administration to protect the country’s territorial integrity resulted in the loss of livelihood of many Filipino fisherfolk,” the leftist lawmakers said. “With the continuing harassment by the China Coast Guard and the Chinese deployment of maritime militias, Filipinos were deprived of the natural resources in its own territory.”
The Philippines has demanded that Chinese vessels withdraw from Julian Felipe Reef and has lodged a diplomatic protest over the presence of the ships, which Manila’s security forces said are part of Beijing’s maritime militia.
China has denied the presence of maritime militia in the reef, which it calls Niu’e Jiao, but did admit that the ships were there to take shelter from rough sea conditions. It also asserted that the vessels are in its territory.
The United States Navy's Nimitz-class nuclear powered supercarrier USS John C. Stennis continues underway in the South China Sea.
The US Pacific Command just reported that it has received "cargo" from support ship USNS Rainier in the disputed waters.
#GreatGreenFleet's USS @Stennis74 receives cargo from USNS #Rainier in the #SouthChinaSea - @US7thFleet pic.twitter.com/MnJWrow6Vv
— U.S. Pacific Command (@PacificCommand) June 10, 2016
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources conducts an aerial maritime inspection over Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc on Thursday, according to a report of PTV.
PTV says BFAR is checking if the southeast portion of Bajo de Mansinloc remains free from illegal and hazardous floating barriers.
Earlier this week, the Philippine Coast removed the chains surrounding the entrance of Bajo de Masinloc installed by the China Coast Guard. — PTV
The National Security Council condemns the installation of the floating barriers of the China Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc, PTV reports on Monday.
“It ruled categorically that such action by the PRC violated the traditional fishing rights of our fishermen in the shoal who have been fishing there for centuries," NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya says.
"Any State that prevents them from doing artisanal fishing there violates UNCLOS and international law, in general,” he adds.
PTV reports that BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21.
“The joint sail is part of the Philippine Navy's regular engagements with its partners in the Philippines' maritime zones. Bravo Zulu to all the personnel of both ships and those who planned this activity," Ltc Enrico Gil Ileto, Public Affairs AFP chief says.
WATCH: BRP Antonio Luna of the Philippine Navy and HMCS Ottawa of the Royal Canadian Navy conducted a joint sail in the West Philippine Sea on Sept. 21. (????: AFP Wescom) | via Bea Bernardo (1/2) pic.twitter.com/DmJguzJSiF
— PTVph (@PTVph) September 22, 2023
Ahead of the second State of the Nation Address of President Ferdinand Marcis Jr, the descendants of the Bai sa Condor and Anta sa Tebouk, on behalf of the Iranun in the Philippines composed of 16 sultans, formally declares ownership of the Spratly Islands and the Scarborough Shoals as patrimony from their ancestors.
The declaration of ownership is led by Sultan Tomas Reyes Cabili, Jr. as part of the advocacy of the Tomas Ll. Cabili Foundation (TLC Foundation).
"TLC Foundation is doing this for our country’s sake as a whole on our claim for what is ours. Not just for our Muslim brothers and the Moro Origins of Mindanao (IRANUN), BUT for all the Filipinos - and the next generations to come. All the Philippines’ descendants of the Iranunis unfurling the historical dimension of the Spratlys and the ScarboroughShoals to strengthen the Philippines' claim on them and complement the theoretical frameworks already presented in the United Nations," Cabili says.
Raymond Powell, project lead at the Gordion Knot Center for National Security Innovation, tweets that China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels "maneuvered dangerously close" to two Philippine Coast Guard ships on a resupply mission at Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea last week.
In a tweet, Powell identifies the ships as BRP Malabrigo and BRP Malapascua. He says these were escorting a small-boat resupply mission to the Philippines' outpost aboard BRP Sierra Madre and were met by an armada of CCG and militia ships, as well as a possible navy vessel.
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