Marcos hits China's 'nature reserve' declaration

President Marcos has slammed the “attempt of some actors” to establish a “nature reserve” in Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, which is an integral part of the Philippines.

- By HELEN FLORES

President Marcos attends the 20th East Asia Summit during the 47th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

(AFP)

Marcos made the remarks at the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-US Summit at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center here Sunday afternoon. The meeting was attended by US President Donald Trump.

A copy of Marcos’ intervention was released by the Presidential Communications Office yesterday.

“The attempt of some actors to establish the so-called ‘nature reserve’ status over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, which is a longstanding and integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction, clearly violates not only Philippine sovereignty, but also the traditional fishing rights of our people guaranteed by international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS and affirmed by the final and binding 2016 Award on the South China Sea Arbitration and relevant domestic laws,” Marcos said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) last month strongly protested the approval by the State Council of China of the establishment of the so-called Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve in Bajo de Masinloc.

In a statement on Sept. 11, the DFA said “the Philippines likewise has the exclusive authority to establish environmental protection areas over its territory and relevant maritime zones.”

The DFA had urged China to respect the sovereignty and jurisdiction of the Philippines over Bajo de Masinloc.

Bajo de Masinloc is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

Yesterday at the 20th East Asia Summit, Marcos aired his protest over China’s placing Bajo de Masinloc under a “national nature reserve” status.