PH closely monitoring Chinese activities in Scarborough Shoal

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BANGKOK – The Philippines is closely watching activities in the South China Sea, particularly the Scarborough Shoal amid reports of China’s plan to build its first permanent structure in the disputed territory.

“The Philippine government is maintaining a regular close watch over Scarborough Shoal,” Foreign Affairs Acting Secretary Enrique Manalo told reporters here in a press briefing on Wednesday.

Concerns were raised after the reported plan of China to build an environmental monitoring station on Scarborough Shoal, off the coast of Zambales province.

Manalo said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has already sought clarification from China regarding the building of an environmental station in Scarborough.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs already issued or requested China for clarification on this reported plan. As I said it is only a reported plan so we’re seeking clarification with China but let me also say that in the meantime, the Philippine government is maintaining a regular close watch over Scarborough Shoal,” he said.

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio has said that the Philippine government should file a “strong Protest” against China’s building activity, which could lead to militarization in the disputed waters. Carpio urged Duterte to send the Philippine Navy to patrol in the Scarborough Shoal and invoke the Philippine-US Mutual Defense Treaty if China attacks the Philippines navy.

READ: Carpio tells Duterte: Defend PH shoal

Asked to comment on this, Manalo said the government has not filed any protest for now as it has to wait for China’s clarification.

“Ang masasabi ko lang ngayon (What I can say now) is that we have already approached China to seek clarification on this reported plan. And we have to wait for China’s reply,” he said.

Amid China’s intensified assertion of its maritime claims in the disputed waters, Manalo said Filipino fishermen were still free to go the area.

READ: China plan bad news for Filipino fishermen

“Well, there’s been no change. They can go there freely and that’s why we also have, as I said keeping it under close watch to see how things are going,” he said.

The foreign affairs official said his office has not received new reports of harassment on Filipino fishermen from Chinese vessels.

“We haven’t received any reports, I think. Kasi ang nagpupunta sa amin ‘yung reports ng mga (Because what we receive are reports from the) Coast Guard and security agencies. They have not given us any reports,” he said.

In a joint statement on Tuesday afternoon, President Rodrigo Duterte and Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha have agreed to push for the completion of the framework of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea this year as the Philippines hosts the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit in November.  

“Both sides emphasized the need for the full and effective implementation of the declaration of conduct of parties in the South China Sea and expressed determination to complete the framework of the Code of Conduct in 2017,” Duterte said in a joint statement with Prayut after their bilateral meeting at the Government House here.

READ: Duterte, Thai PM push for sea code completion

The President said maintaining peace and stability in the region, including the addressing the dispute on the South China Sea was high on their agenda.

“We both also stressed the need to maintain peace and stability in the region, including the South China Sea,” he said. “We recognized both that respect for freedom of navigation and overflight in the South China Sea is in the interest of all countries within or outside the region.”

Thailand is not a claimant in any part of the South China Sea but Prayut, in his statement, said that international laws must be observed to resolve maritime issues in the disputed territories.

Besides China and the Philippines, Japan, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan also have claims in the South China Sea.

In July 2016, the United Nations (UN) arbitral tribunal favored the Philippines’ diplomatic protest against China, saying there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within its nine-dash line. China has refused to recognize the ruling, calling it “a mere piece of paper.”

Duterte, in his public speeches has repeatedly said he won’t insist the ruling now, saying he was still rebuilding the Philippines’ strained relationship with China. But the President promised to raise the issue within his term. IDL