China Coast Guard spotted installing floating barriers in Bajo De Masinloc

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea on Saturday said Filipino fishermen have spotted the China Coast Guard readying an illegal installation of floating barriers at the southeast entrance of Bajo De Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea.

"Filipino fishermen have reported and documented the Chinese Coast Guard launching a small boat early this morning to illegally install a floating barrier at the southeast entrance of Bajo De Masinloc," the task force said in a statement.

This came after the task force confirmed that the CCG vessels fired water cannons against the supply vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources, conducting regular humanitarian and support missions of providing oil subsidies and grocery packs to over 30 Filipino fishing vessels near Bajo De Masinloc or Scarborough shoal.

"The actions of the Chinese Coast Guard and Chinese Maritime Militia hindered the BFAR vessel from accessing the entrance of the shoal," the task force noted.

Citing the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Philippine government stressed "that Bajo de Masinloc is a high-tide feature with the territorial sea, and it forms an integral part of the Philippine national territory under the Constitution."

The NTF WPS has emphasized that the Philippines is only exercising sovereignty and jurisdiction over the shoal and its territorial sea.

The 2016 Arbitral Award has also clarified that Filipinos have traditional fishing rights in the water of Bajo de Masinloc protected by international law, it added.

The Philippine government said "China's illegal exercise of maritime law enforcement powers, interference with Philippine vessels, harassment and intimidation of Filipino fisherfolk, or any other activity that infringes upon the Philippines' sovereignty and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc" are violations of international law, particularly United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the Arbitral Award.

"We firmly insist that these Chinese vessels leave Bajo de Masinloc immediately," it further stated.

The Philippine government demanded the Chinese government to take "immediate action to halt these aggressive activities and uphold the principles of international law and desist from actions that would infringe on Philippine Sovereignty and endanger the lives and livelihood of Filipino fishermen who have traditionally fished in the area."