MANILA, Philippines- May karapatan ang Pilipinas na magpatrolya sa Scarborough Shoal matapos akusahan ng Tsina ang Philippine military ship ng ilegal na pagpasok sa nasabing lugar.
Kinondena ni National Security Adviser Eduardo Año ang umano’y “overhyping” ng China sa insidente at pinaiinit lamang umano ang tensyon sa Pilipinas.
“Under international law, the Philippines has every right to patrol the length and breadth of the West Philippine Sea which necessarily includes Bajo de Masinloc which is well within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ),” ayon kay Año, gamit ang lokal na pangalan ng Scarborough Shoal.
“China is again over hyping this incident and creating unnecessary tensions between our two nations,” dagdag na pahayag nito.
Dahil dito, hinikayat ni Año ang China na maging responsable sa mga aksyon nito, sumunod sa international laws, at tigilan na ang agresibo at ilegal na aksyon sa Philippine waters.
“We urge China to act responsibly, respect UNCLOS, adhere to the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, promote the rules-based international order, and stop its aggressive and illegal actions in PH waters,” ayon kay Año.
Ang UNCLOS ay ang 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, kinokonsiderang konstitusyon sa karagatan.
Winika pa ni Año na ang Philippine ship PS39 ay nagsagawa ng routine patrol operations sa pangkalahatang bisinidad ng Bajo de Masinloc “without any untoward incident.”
“It did not illegally enter any space under Chinese sovereignty because Bajo de Masinloc is part of the PH archipelago and EEZ,” ayon kay Año. Kris Jose
