AFP draws the line: No Chinese nature reserve in Philippine waters

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it will not allow China to establish a so-called national nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), a disputed maritime feature within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). 

In a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo on Tuesday, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad emphasized the military’s firm stance on defending national sovereignty amid Beijing’s latest declaration involving the shoal.

“Whatever the adversary — the South Sea Fleet — would plan is beyond us,” Trinidad said, referring to China's Southern Theater Command. 

“What we control is the actions of the Armed Forces, the Philippine Navy, the Air Force, and the Philippine Army. At hindi natin papayagan na ang sa atin ay mawawala (And we will not allow what is ours to be lost),” he added, asserting that the country will not allow any loss of territory.

On 10 September, China declared Scarborough Shoal as part of a new national nature reserve,  a move widely seen as a thinly veiled attempt to tighten its grip on the contested area.

Trinidad declined to provide operational details on how the AFP would respond to a potential Chinese occupation of the shoal, citing the need to maintain strategic confidentiality. 

However, he gave assurance that the military is prepared.

“We will not delve into details to give an advance declaration of our actions. Rest assured that your Armed Forces knows what to do. We are good with what we have,” he said.

“We have the appropriate actions ready to ensure that we could institute the command guidance of the Commander-in-Chief. The integrity of the national territory is paramount,” he added. 

Trinidad also noted that maritime domain awareness operations, including surveillance from sea-based, air-based, and shore-based platforms, are actively monitoring the area.

Scarborough Shoal lies approximately 124 nautical miles west of Masinloc, Zambales, placing it well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile EEZ under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier filed a formal diplomatic protest against China’s nature reserve plan on September 13, reiterating Manila’s sovereign rights over the shoal.

In a show of international support, Australia, Canada, and Japan also rejected China's unilateral move, echoing the Philippines’ concerns over Beijing's growing assertiveness in the West Philippine Sea.

Scarborough Shoal has long been a flashpoint in the maritime dispute between the Philippines and China, especially after a 2012 standoff that led to China’s de facto control of the area despite a 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the Philippines.