Secretary of Foreign Affairs Teodoro Locsin Jr. INQUIRER file photo
MANILA, Philippines — The government may not be able to ban marine survey ships to sail into Philippine waters after all.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. backtracked on his previous remarks that he would “universalize” the restriction on marine survey ships following recent sightings of Chinese vessels sailing through the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
READ: Locsin ‘will universalize ban’ on survey ships ‘by adding China’
“I am reliably informed that under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) we cannot ban marine surveys but that marine surveys need our permission to be conducted,” Locsin said over Twitter on Tuesday.
I am reliably informed that under UNCLOS we cannot ban marine surveys but that marine surveys need our permission to be conducted. This is then is the new rule: if we grant permission to one legitimate say US concern we will grant to France, China, Japan, any non-haosiao survey.
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) August 13, 2019
“This is then is the new rule: if we grant permission to one legitimate say US concern we will grant to France, China, Japan, any non-haosiao survey,” he added.
The foreign affairs chief then noted that the Philippine government would grant permission based on the “surveyor’s seriousness and capability.”
What about marine surveys? I refuse to show preference for or bias against any country. The rule should not change with circumstances. If marine surveys require PH permission it is only to determine surveyor's seriousness and capability; not our fears and favoritism. Yes? No? https://t.co/kTSBcuZ2Eo
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) August 13, 2019
“I refuse to show a preference for or bias against any country. The rule should not change with circumstances,” he said in a separate tweet.
“If marine surveys require PH permission it is only to determine surveyor’s seriousness and capability; not our fears and favoritism,” he added.