President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has strongly opposed China's plan to declare Bajo de Masinloc or Panatag Shoal, a part of Philippine territory, as a "nature reserve." He made the remarks at the ASEAN-US Summit in Kuala Lumpur, which was also attended by US President Donald Trump.
Marcos said China's move is a clear violation of the Philippine sovereignty and the Filipino people's fishing rights as protected by the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 arbitral ruling. He stressed that the Philippines has the right to declare protected areas in its own territory and seas.
Last month, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) also expressed protest against China's decision to establish the so-called “Huangyan Island National Nature Reserve.” Bajo de Masinloc is 124 nautical miles from Zambales and part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.
At the East Asia Summit, Marcos again criticized China's decision and urged other countries to respect ocean policy based on international law. He also cited the continued “dangerous maneuvers” by Chinese ships that pose a threat to Philippine personnel and vessels.
According to Marcos, the Philippines continues to promote the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea to ensure peace and order in the region. Meanwhile, the AFP announced that they had stopped several Chinese fishing boats conducting illegal fishing in Ayungin Shoal and confiscated bottles containing cyanide chemicals used in destructive fishing.
