‘China, not Phl, intruding’

The Philippines on Thursday lashed back at China's accusation that a Philippine frigate had trespassed in the waters adjacent to Scarborough Shoal.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said China's territorial claim to Scarborough Shoal had "no legal basis" and that the Philippines does not need permission from anyone to navigate its own waters.

"The statement of the Southern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army alleging that the BRP Conrado Yap intruded into the waters near Bajo de Masinloc on 30 October has no legal basis and only serves to raise tensions in the West Philippine Sea," the DFA said in a statement.

"The Philippines' conduct of maritime patrols in the waters around Bajo de Masinloc is a legitimate and routine act of a sovereign country in its territory and territorial sea and is part of the Philippines' administrative responsibility," it added.

Beijing said the Philippines "seriously violated China's sovereignty, international law and basic norms governing international relations, and is highly likely to cause a misunderstanding and miscalculation."

It urged the Philippines to "immediately stop its infringement and provocation to avoid further escalation."

Scarborough Shoal, known locally as Bajo de Masinloc, located 120 nautical miles from Zambales, is an integral part of Philippine territory and over which the country has sovereignty and jurisdiction, the DFA stressed.

"The 2016 Arbitral Award upheld its status as a high tide feature that has no exclusive economic zone or continental shelf of its own as opposed to an island as defined under Article 121(3) of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," it said.

"Beyond the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc is the exclusive economic zone and continental shelf generated from the main Philippine archipelago, over which the Philippines exercises sovereign rights and jurisdiction," it added.

Contrary to UNCLOS

The Philippines also cited the 2016 Arbitral Award that categorically declared that China's claims to historic rights, or other rights or jurisdiction, over maritime areas in the South China Sea within the so-called "nine-dash line" are contrary to UNCLOS.

The DFA stressed that it is China that is intruding into Philippine waters.

Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson, Col. Medel Aguilar, derided China's statement, saying it had been hurt "because of its own doing."

"We are a sovereign country, and we have an independent foreign policy. So, for me, it's a big insult when they say that other countries are dictating to us," Aguilar said, referring to claims the Philippines is kowtowing to the United States.

"We are doing this to protect our fishermen, especially those whose livelihood are in the West Philippine Sea," he added.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had warned the US should stay away from the affairs of China and the Philippines as it is "not a party to the South China Sea issue."

Mao's statement came after US President Joe Biden reiterated that the US commitment to defend the Philippines remained iron-clad following a collision between Chinese and Philippine vessels in the WPS.

'Our duty'

"The US defense commitment to the Philippines should not undermine China's sovereignty and maritime rights and interest in the South China Sea, nor should it support the illegal claims of the Philippines," Mao said.

When asked if the US was welcome to join the AFP's resupply missions, Aguilar said: "Our rotation and resupply missions are for us to undertake."

"It is for our country to make sure that we fulfill our responsibility being bestowed with the sovereign rights and jurisdiction to ensure that we are able to harvest and to benefit from the resources therein, we have to make sure that environmental protection programs are being implemented," he said.