MANILA, Philippines – SINABI ni Pangulong Ferdinand Jr., na “West Philippine Sea”, ang tawag ng Maynila at hindi South China Sea.
Sa Forbes Global CEO Conference sa Singapore, binanggit ng Pangulo ang tungkol sa nagpapatuloy na pagsisikap ng bansa na igiit ang soberanya sa pinagtatalunang katubigan.
Ipinaliwanag ng Pangulo ang West Philippine Sea’ sa mga business leaders sa audience.
“The challenges that we are facing now in the South China Sea, we refer to it as the West Philippine Sea,” ang sinabi ni Pangulong Marcos.
“That’s a good name change,” ayon kay Forbes Editor-in-Chief Steve Forbes.
“Well, because part of the claim was, look, it’s called China, so South China Seas, it must belong to China. And so we thought, well, you know, it’s been on the… western side of the Philippines, you know, since time immemorial. So we call it the West Philippine Sea,” ang winika pa rin ng Pangulo.
Nagsimulang gamitin ng mga ahensiya ng gobyerno ang terminong “West Philippine Sea” kasunod ng Administrative Order No. 29, na inisyu ng namayapang Pangulong Benigno Aquino III inoong 2012.
Sa ilalim ng kautusan, “the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority was ordered to publish maps and charts with the term “West Philippine Sea” for western maritime areas within the Philippines’ 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).”
Ang lahat ng ahensiya ng gobyerno ay inatasan na I-adopt ang pangalan, inatasan ang Department of Foreign Affairs na ipaalam sa United Nations at iba pang international organizations ang tungkol sa bagong mapa.
Gayunman, ang West Philippine Sea ay “refers to the waters within the Philippines’ EEZ. The West Philippine Sea is a part of the larger South China Sea, according to the Naitonal Maritime Council.”
“Beijing has laid claim to most of the South China Sea, including areas within the Philippine EEZ.. While the Permanent Court of Arbitration’s decision upheld the Philippines’ EEZ in 2016, China has continuously disregarded this and laid claim to most of the West Philippine Sea,” ayon pa rin sa ulat. KRIS JOSE
