China Coast Guard vessels’ presence in and around the area of Escoda Shoal is illegal, the spokesman of the National Maritime Council (NMC) said on Saturday.
During a press briefing held at the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) headquarters in Manila, NMC spokesman retired Vice Admiral Alexander Lopez stood firm that the Chinese presence in Escoda Shoal is illegal as against Beijing’s claim that Philippine vessels are trespassing.
Lopez made the assertion following the latest ramming incident involving the vessels of China Coast Guard and the PCG. A China Coast Guard vessel on Saturday morning rammed the BRP Teresa Magbanua, which has been anchored in Escoda Shoal since April.
“Let us be clear about it. Escoda Shoal is 75 nautical miles from Palawan. It is well within our Exclusive Economic Zone. Dalawa ang pinag-aangklahan natin. The UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling. So, we exercise sovereignty. So, we recognize jurisdiction over the area,” Lopez pointed out.
“The Chinese Coast Guard vessels are the ones illegally … their presence of there are illegal. We are there on a legal basis,” Lopez said.
“We are there dahil atin yun. Hindi tayo pwede umalis sa sariling bahay natin. Let us be very clear about it,” he stressed.
On the other hand, PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said, “it is important for us to understand that Escoda Shoal has been an issue for the Chinese government since we deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua last April 15.”
Tarriela said it has always been a reason for China to make it an issue. China has filed a diplomatic protest for BRP Teresa Magbanua to withdraw from Escoda Shoal.
They also used different platforms to highlight and see this as a semi-grounded or a possible place for creating a formal deployment base, he said.
“So as far as the Chinese Coast Guard is concerned, these are their different appreciation of our deployment for Teresa Magbanua. But as I said, for the Philippine Coast Guard, the reason and objective of the deployment of Teresa Magbanua is only really for us to carry out our legal and legitimate Coast Guard operations within our own exclusive economic zone,” Tarriela said. PND
