PH maritime, air patrols in Scarborough Shoal to continue

MANILA, May 8 ------ The Philippines will continue to deploy maritime and air patrols to assert the country's sovereignty and jurisdiction over Scarborough Shoal (also known as Bajo de Masinloc) despite mounting security challenges. 

National Security Council (NSC) Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya made this assurance during the Stratbase Institute and Stanford University's Sealight Project online forum titled "Scarborough Shoal: Facing Facts and Exploring Options" Tuesday afternoon. "Notwithstanding those challenges, and (in) behalf of our fishermen and of course the territorial integrity of the Philippines, we will continue to ramp (our) presence by sending our ships regularly on maritime patrol, as well as air patrols just to fly the flag and to send a very, very strong message that we will not be deterred in asserting our rights and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc," he said. 

Malaya also maintained that the territorial integrity of the Philippines is "foundational and non-negotiable." "(It) has always been the position of the Philippines since the 2016 Arbitral Ruling," he said. This will continue despite the doubling of Chinese maritime presence in Scarborough Shoal, he added. "Our legal status is very clear and therefore it is the responsibility and mandate of (the) government to implement that legal status (and that it), implement the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, implement the Maritime Zones Law," Malaya said. 

He said this would be implemented by constantly showing the flag through maritime and air patrols. "Therefore, we must fly the flag and we must stand for international law," Malaya said. 

Source: pna.gov.ph