THE Philippines said on Monday it rejected Beijing’s assertion over the entire South China Sea (SCS), defending Manila’s “indivisible, incontrovertible and longstanding sovereignty” over Scarborough Shoal and Kalayaan Island Group.
“This claim has no basis in fact, no basis in history, and no basis in international law,” Maritime Affairs spokesman Rogelio E. Villanueva, Jr. told a news briefing at the Department of Foreign Affairs.
“China must be reminded that maritime and territorial claims are subject to established international legal procedures and dispute settlement mechanisms, not through unilateral proclamations or social media posts.”
The remarks are the latest in a war of words between Philippine officials and the Chinese Embassy in Manila over disputes in the South China Sea. China’s embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Philippines and China both lay claims to the Scarborough Shoal, which is effectively under Beijing’s control through continuous deployment of its coast guard. Sovereignty over the atoll has never been formally established.
Mr. Villanueva was responding to a weekend social media post by the embassy that said a former Philippine ambassador had told a German radio station that Scarborough Shoal did not fall within Manila’s territory.
Located 200 kilometers (124 miles) off the Philippines and inside its exclusive economic zone, the strategic shoal is located close to major shipping lanes and is coveted for its fish stocks and a turquoise lagoon that provides safe haven for vessels during storms.
“Sovereignty is not merely claimed, it is exercised,” Mr. Villanueva said.
He added that the Philippines has exercised continuous, uninterrupted sovereignty and jurisdiction over the maritime feature, through detailed hydrographic surveys, official government correspondences, along with acts of administration.
The Foreign Affairs official also clarified that the resumption of dialogue mechanisms with China does not mean that the Philippines concedes its claims over the disputed waterway.
“Our pursuit of dialogue reflects a calibrated and principled commitment to peaceful dispute settlement — it does not, in any manner, dilute or qualify the Philippines’ firm, unequivocal positions in the West Philippine Sea,” he added.
The vital waterway has become a flashpoint between Beijing and Manila, where officials have reported incidents involving Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including harassment and dangerous maneuvers such as the use of water cannons near features Manila considers part of its exclusive economic zone.
“The Philippines must file a diplomatic protest in response to the allegations presented by the Chinese Embassy as it seems to be yet another instance of narrative twisting aimed to debilitate the country’s claims,” Josue Raphael J. Cortez, a diplomacy lecturer at De La Salle-College of St. Benilde, said in a Facebook Messenger chat.
He also called on the Philippine government to operationalize the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism for further dialogues between Manila and Beijing.
Mr. Cortez said that the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ ongoing meeting to craft a binding code of conduct in the South China Sea could be used as a platform to address the Philippines’ sentiments.
“If left unaddressed (this) might become more harmful towards our claim and that of our neighbors who are also state claimants to the maritime territory,” he added. — Adrian H. Halili with Reuters
