Malacañang is not taking a step back in asserting the country’s rights over the Spratlys, reminding China that the Philippines won the arbitral ruling in 2016, after China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said the Spratlys, which China calls the Nansha Islands, are within Chinese territory.
Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said an arbitral ruling has already been rendered even if the Philippines concurs with Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lu Kang’s statement that the dispute can be best threshed out through peaceful negotiations and consultations between the two countries.
“We remain steadfast in maintaining our claims with respect to our territory and exclusive economic zones pursuant not only to the said arbitral judgment based on accepted principles of public international law but consistent with the directives of our Constitution and the aspirations of the Filipino people,” he said.
Panelo, also chief presidential legal counsel, said China should avoid performing acts that would place Filipino fishermen’s fishing in the disputed areas at risk. He warned that this could “cause irritants that will disrupt the current friendly relations of the two countries, as well as imperil future bilateral negotiations on matters of mutual concern.”
“It is our principled stand that the peace in the West Philippine Sea should be maintained,” he said. “As a matter of protocol, we expect our Philippine counterpart, the Department of Foreign Affairs, to issue an official statement on the matter,” he added.
Panelo earlier noted that despite the sea row, China gave the Philippines P370-million worth of arms and ammunition during the Marawi City siege in 2017 and funded a 150-bed rehabilitation center in Agusan del Sur.
He said part of the country’s effort to reciprocate China’s assistance is to be “diplomatically kind” while asserting Philippine sovereignty.
Panelo had also said China should get out of Philippine-occupied islands. He added that the government would be filing another diplomatic protest against China should they refuse to leave.
“(We are filing) Because they cannot be intruding in our territorial property. (By filing) They will know that we are against it. That we will not allow it. That we will not tolerate such presence in our territory,” Panelo said.
“They should (go away). They have no business being there,” he added.
President Duterte told China to lay off Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea, saying the narrative will change once something bad happens to Filipinos there.
“Let us be friends but do not touch Pag-asa Island and the rest. Otherwise, things would be different. This is not a warning, this is just a word of advice to my friends kasi kaibigan tayo ng China,” he said.
Duterte also said he will not hesitate to shed blood if the Chinese would harm Filipinos on Pag-asa Island.
“So nakikiusap ako. I will not plead or beg, but I am just telling you that lay off the Pag-asa because may mga sundalo ako diyan. ‘Pag ‘yan ang ginalaw ninyo, ibang istorya na ‘yan,” he said. (Argyll Cyrus B. Geducos)