The Philippine Navy has denied China's claim that they expelled the ship Apolinario Mabini from Panatag Shoal (Scarborough). According to China, the ship entered the area without permission, so they immediately guarded, monitored, warned, and expelled it.
But according to Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, this is just another propaganda by China for their own audience. He insisted that only the Philippine Navy and other PH law enforcement ships have the right to patrol our maritime zones.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) also refuted China's statement that the Philippines had given its permission to go to Ayungin Shoal. According to the task force, permission is not required from China because the area is part of the Philippines' EEZ.
The National Security Council said that what China said was misinformation to make it appear they have control over Ayungin. However, the Philippines does not recognize this and said that it does not need any blessing from China for resupply missions.
Meanwhile, President Marcos is pleased with the new label of West Philippine Sea on Google Maps. Malacañang said it is a sign of global recognition of the Philippines' rights to the area. The label refers to the part of the South China Sea that is included in our 200-nautical mile EEZ.
The Philippine Maritime Zones Act was also passed to clearly define our covered seas. According to the government, it further demonstrates to the world that the West Philippine Sea is covered by international laws and decisions, especially the 2016 arbitral ruling against China's nine-dash line....
