Nat'l maritime body protests illegal presence of China vessels

The Philippines has protested the "illegal" presence and "escalatory" actions of a Chinese helicopter and ships within the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ), saying they disregarded local and international laws and were not in line with the exercise of freedom of navigation and innocent passage.

- By ALEXIS ROMERO

The Philippines has protested the “illegal” presence and “escalatory” actions of a Chinese helicopter and ships within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), saying they disregarded local and international laws and were not in line with the exercise of freedom of navigation and innocent passage.

The National Maritime Council (NMC) said the illegal presence and operations of China Coast Guard vessels CCG 5901 and CCG 3304 were detected on Jan. 5 and 10, respectively, in and around the waters of Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc and about 70 to 90 nautical miles from the coastlines of Zambales province.

According to the NMC, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) continuously challenged the two CCG vessels and told them to leave the area immediately.

China also deployed a People’s Liberation Army-Navy helicopter that hovered above a PCG vessel, a move that the NMC labeled as “provocative.”

“The Philippines objects to the continued illegal presence and activities of Chinese maritime forces and militia within the country’s territorial sea and exclusive economic zone,” the NMC said in a statement yesterday.

It described China’s actions as “clear violations” of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) as well as the 2016 arbitral ruling that affirmed the Philippines’ sovereign rights in its maritime zones, especially in the West Philippine Sea.

The landmark ruling, which stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines, also invalidated China’s expansive maritime claim in the South China Sea.