Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Friday said it hoped China would take out its ropes at the entrance of the Scarborough Shoal lagoon so as not to escalate tensions in the area.
When asked if China might see a plan to cut the ropes as a move to escalate tensions in the area, DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez said, “Well the fact that they put a rope barrier in our lagoon, I think that they have to be true to their word not to escalate and aggravate the tension in the area.”
On Thursday, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the Coast Guard had reported to him that the Chinese left a long rope held by buoys at both ends of the entrance to the lagoon of the horseshoe-shaped reef. He also said that the defense department was studying the steps to take about the rope.
Hernandez said that China had been putting up barriers since May and that the country had been protesting the putting up of barriers “because they put it and take that out again.”
“So hopefully they take that out so we don’t have an issue on it anymore,” Hernandez added.
When asked if there would be repercussions should a plan to cut the ropes be implemented, Hernandez said that it would be an operational action from the concerned agencies and that they had the mandate to “protect our seas and our territories and let’s see what will happen.”
He said that the country would continue to remind China of its claims to the area, and that they had been undergoing preparations to bring the territorial issue to a dispute settlement mechanism under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“We are hoping that Asean would take on the leadership and promote solidarity and centrality among its members and would be able to help resolve the issue of the West Philippine Sea in a peaceful, diplomatic manner in accordance with international law specifically with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said.
“We are closely studying the legal track and we’re hoping to use this in order to have this settled peacefully,” he added. He said that they would push through with the legal track with or without the approval of China.
He said consultations on the issue with Beijing had been done by Philippine Ambassador to China Sonia Brady.