DND stands up to China: You have ‘no business’ telling PH what to do in its EEZ

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Department of National Defense (DND) on Wednesday (April 28) issued a strongly-worded statement telling China it cannot dictate what the Philippines does in its waters.

The statement was in reaction to a Chinese foreign ministry demand for the Philippines to stop maritime drills and patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), which is the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In its statement, the DND said China “has no business telling the Philippines what we can and cannot do within our own waters.”

“The arbitral award has categorically stated that the Chinese claim bounded by their so-called nine dash line, according to ‘historical right’, has no basis in fact,” said the DND statement, referring to the 2016 arbitral ruling in The Hague that found China’s claim to nearly the entire South China Sea as baseless.

On Monday, a Chinese foreign ministry functionary doubled down on China’s ownership claim on WPS, saying China has sovereignty over Nansha, Chinese for the Spratlys or Kalayaan Group in the Philippines, and also Zhongye Island (Pag-asa) and Huangyan (Panatag).

Wang Wenbin, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said the Philippines must cease patrols and maritime drills in WPS out of “respect” for China’s sovereignty over the area.

“We urge the relevant side to respect China’s sovereignty and rights and interests, and stop actions complicating the situation and escalating disputes,” said Wang, booed on social media for the statement.

The DND said China was acting as if its claims in the area were legitimate.

The Philippines bolstered its presence in its EEZ shortly after China assembled hundreds of militia vessels at Julian Felipe Reef, which is also inside Philippine EEZ, in what some analysts said was a looming invasion of the area. The China vessels dispersed after the Philippines filed a series of diplomatic protests but have refused to leave the Philippines’ EEZ entirely in a sign of staking ownership.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) announced on Sunday (April 25) that it has been conducting drills in WPS since last week as part of efforts to secure “our maritime jurisdiction.”

The PCG sent BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) and BRP Sindangan (MRRV-4407) to Panatag Shoal, while BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409), BRP Malapascua (MRRV-4403) and a ship from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources were deployed to Pag-asa Island, which many fear would be China’s next target for occupation.

The international arbitral ruling in The Hague in 2016 declared China’s mythical nine-dash claim to most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, as invalid and baseless. China, according to the ruling, violated Philippine sovereignty and Filipinos’ right to fish and explore resources in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing disregarded the ruling. China considered the ruling as trash and does not recognize it.

The DND said it was China that was “encroaching and should desist and leave.”

“We will continue to do what is necessary to protect our sovereign rights,” it added.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered his department to file new diplomatic protests against China following the remarks of Wang.

“They can say what they want from the Chinese mainland; we continue to assert from our waters by right of international law what we won in The Hague. But we must not fail to protest,” Locsin said.

TSB