The removal of China’s floating barrier in Scarborough Shoal, according to Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday, is consistent with the Philippines’ stance on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In an interview with Senate reporters, Manalo said, “Technically, since we have a right to practice our sovereignty and our sovereign rights, so it would have been consistent with our position, but we’re still waiting for the full report [on its removal].”
Manalo stated that the DFA would need to research the procedures before considering bringing a case against China to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
The China Coast Guard (CCG), according to the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), built a floating barrier in the southeast corner of Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, over the weekend, prohibiting Filipino fishermen from accessing the area to engage in fishing operations.
According to the PCG, the 300-meter-long floating barrier was found on Friday while being patrolled by the Datu Bankaw, a vessel operated by the PCG and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).
President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Ao, who is also the head of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, gave the order for the removal of the “hazardous floating barrier” in the WPS, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela announced on Monday.
The removal of the barrier by the PCG, according to Tarriela, is in accordance with international law and the Philippines’ authority over the shoal.
Scarborough Shoal is a portion of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and lies 229.6 kilometers (124 nautical miles) away from Zambales. It is regarded as one of the country’s traditional fishing grounds.
Following the demolition of the floating barrier, Tarriela stated in a televised interview from earlier in the day that the government intends to access the lagoon of Scarborough Shoal.
According to Tarriela, the PCG would collaborate on this with the BFAR and the Philippine Armed Forces (AFP).
According to Tarriela, Chinese ships have defended the lagoon and prevented Filipino ships and fishing boats from entering the AEA during the 2012 standoff between the Philippines and China on Scarborough Shoal.
“The PCG will be able to sustain this patrol with the end goal of once again allowing fishermen to be able to go inside the lagoon,” the PCG official stated. “We will do this in conjunction with the BFAR, and of course with the support of our AFP, through the intelligence cooperation that we have already established.”
The Philippines is prepared to take “appropriate measures” to assert its rights over Scarborough Shoal, according to a previous statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
According to the DFA’s statement, the shoal is “an integral part of the Philippines over which we have sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction in accordance with UNCLOS.”
