MANILA, May 24 ------ Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo reiterated Wednesday that China’s illegal actions within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZZ) is causing the escalation of tension in the region and affecting relations between the two countries.
China's foreign ministry has said the same about the Philippines and has accused it of making baseless. “I would say they’re a bit choppy. There are many issues which have come up recently…Unfortunately, in this case China, has continued to harass, for example, our fishermen, try and block our efforts to resupply for example our military personnel in Ayungin Shoal and also our fishermen in Scarborough Shoal," he said.
Manalo said that China's actions are "inconsistent [with] and in fact illegal" in the context of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award on China's claims over a large part of the South China Sea. "So these actions have been a cause for raising tensions. We are merely trying to assert our rights and, unfortunately, we are being hampered in doing so and, in my personal belief, this is creating the tensions,” Manalo said.
Manalo said the Philippines will continue to assert its rights in an appropriate way while remaining committed to a peaceful resolution of differences. Manalo also underscored that the Philippine government will never enter into any agreement that will compromise national interests and sovereignty. He made this statement as the House of Representatives conducts an inquiry into an alleged “new model” agreement in managing the situation in Ayungin Shoal.
The supposed agreement was allegedly reached during a recorded conversation between Chinese officials and Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos, who has been relieved from his post as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command. Carlos admitted having a phone conversation with the Chinese Embassy’s defense attaché but denied entering into any deal. Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro wants the Department of Foreign Affairs to conduct an investigation in the matter and expel Chinese diplomats involved in wiretapping the conversation.
Recording a conversation without the consent of the other party is illegal under Philippine law. But Manalo also explained that the DFA is not a law enforcement body. “We don’t have authority to actually investigate…if they find out it involves a diplomat, that would be the time they would come to the DFA….diplomats have immunity…And then there's a procedure on what we would do in case, you know, there's sufficient ground, let's say, to bring someone, a diplomat to court,” Manalo said.
Manalo announced however that the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism on the South China Sea between the Philippines and China will be convened again soon. He said the Philippines will bring up issues particularly on incidents in Ayungin and Scarborough Shoal. The foreign affairs secretary also rejected a recent warning from Beijing that the China Coast Guard will start detaining trespassers in Chinese “territory,” which expectedly will include disputed areas, including those in the West Philippine Sea. “The President has been very clear. That announcement by China is unacceptable and in my view, has no legal basis. There's no legal basis for that. And, what's even more worrying is that it does not only affect the Philippines. It will affect every country in the world, theoretically,” Manalo said.
Source: news.abs-cbn.com
Opmerkingen