By Joyce Ann Rocamora | Philippine News Agency
The Philippine government on Tuesday night said no agreement was ever made between Beijing and Manila, obligating the latter to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre in the Ayungin Shoal.
Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson for Maritime Affairs Rogelio Villanueva Jr. made the statement after belying the Chinese Embassy in Manila’s claim that the Philippines has made a “repeated promise to remove” the warship from the feature.
“The Philippine Government categorically rejects the assertion that the Philippines has repeatedly promised to tow away or remove the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal,” he said.
“There is no agreement between the Philippines and China obligating the Philippines to remove the BRP Sierra Madre, a commissioned Philippine naval vessel permanently stationed in Ayungin Shoal,” he added.
Villanueva pointed out that Ayungin Shoal forms part of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf of the Philippines, and that, as a low-tide elevation “is not capable of generating maritime entitlements of its own and can neither be the subject of a sovereignty claim” by another country.
“Accordingly, China’s exercise of maritime law enforcement powers infringes on Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction in Ayungin Shoal and are violations of international law,” he said.
The claim was made by Chinese Embassy Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei in a lengthy statement posted on the embassy’s Facebook page on Sept. 12.
The DFA also rejected China’s “mischaracterization of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act,” noting that the passage of the law is an “exercise of the Philippines’ sovereign prerogative to define and establish its maritime zones consistent with United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and international law.”
“The 2016 Arbitral Award is final and binding on the Philippines and China. It was rendered by an arbitral tribunal constituted under Annex VII of UNCLOS—to which both the Philippines and China are States Parties. The Philippines calls on China to respect and fulfill its obligations under international law,” Villanueva said.
The diplomat said Manila remains open to dialogue and peaceful settlement of disputes, but will continue to exercise its rights and undertake lawful activities “to uphold its sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction.”
