China's actions appear to be a form of disrespect towards the Philippines as they are preventing Filipino fishermen from fishing in the Scarborough Shoal, an Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) official said on Sunday.
In a radio interview, AFP spokesperson Colonel Medel Aguilar expressed disappointment over the fact that Filipino fishermen are no longer able to engage in fishing activities at the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal.
"It's regrettable (that the Filipinos cannot fish at the Scarborough Shoal), but let's see what happens next because we can't allow it to be like this forever," Aguilar said.
"It's like they're insulting us with their actions, knowing well that their territorial claim has no basis," Aguilar added.
While Filipino fishermen can fish in some areas, the military official said they cannot go near the Scarborough Shoal where the are more fish.
Aguilar said the Filipinos can no longer access the Scarborough Shoal because the maritime militia and China Coast Guard vessels are already "blocking the shoal."
The Philippine government sued China at The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2013. In July 2016, the Court delivered a verdict favoring the Philippines by rejecting China's nine-dash claim over the South China Sea.
In the same judgment, the court designated Scarborough Shoal as a shared fishing area and prohibited China from taking aggressive actions against Filipino fishermen there, which included preventing their access to the shoal.
Furthermore, The Hague Court affirmed that the Spratly Islands, Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank fall within the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines. Despite this ruling, Beijing has consistently refused to acknowledge or abide by it.
However, China recently released an updated official map that reaffirmed its unlawful assertions over a significant portion of the South China Sea while introducing new claims along the West Philippine Sea.
The Philippines lodged a protest against China's release of the 2023 edition of its regular map.
The Philippine government urged China to exhibit responsible behavior and adhere to its commitments as stipulated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitration decision.