Code of conduct on disputed sea pushed

FOREIGN secretary Perfecto Yasay Jr. has urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China to speed up the adoption of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea to return peace and stability in the disputed waters.

Yasay spoke at the Second Conference on South China Sea which was held at the Manila Hotel on Wednesday and Thursday this week, barely a month after the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague junked China’s massive claims over virtually the entire South China Sea.

China has refused to recognize and abide by the international arbitration court ruling. Its Supreme Court recently countered with a ruling that fishermen from other countries would be arrested and detained if caught fishing in “Chinese waters.”

Yasay said on Wednesday the Philippines continued to exert its best efforts to see that an existing nonbinding agreement, the Asean-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (2002), proceeds to a binding Code of Conduct.

Early adoption

“We continue to urge parties concerned to do the same,” said Yasay.

All parties in the sea dispute need to work expeditiously toward the early adoption of an effective Code of Conduct, he said.

Ambassador Rosario Manalo, who led the High Level Task Force to draft the Asean Charter in 2006, said that in spite of China’s high court ruling, the Philippines and China can still sign a political agreement that allows fishermen from both countries to freely fish in the South China Sea.

The conference was attended by representatives and experts from the 10-member Asean. Representatives from Japan and Australia were present. China sent a representative from its embassy in Manila and other experts.

Asean is composed of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Burma (Myanmar).

Meanwhile, two of the Philippine Coast Guard’s vessels are patrolling the coast of northern Luzon, intensifying its presence in the West Philippine Sea.

The 35-meter BRP Nueva Vizcaya was deployed on Thursday to join the 56-meter BRP Pampanga, which has been keeping watch over the area since last week.

“These ships will conduct law enforcement patrols against poaching and other lawless activities at sea,” said PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo.

The vessels will patroll within a 12-nautical-mile territorial limit from Manila to Northern Luzon. The patrol mission will pass by Subic, Zambales, which is near the Chinese-controlled Scarborough Shoal.
“They could go beyond the 12-nautical-miles territorial limit and if they see any violators at sea, they could run after them,” Balilo said, adding that this would depend on the ship’s commanding officer.
With a report from Julie M. Aurelio