PH lodges protest vs China for illegal Coast Guard presence in EEZ

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine government has filed a diplomatic protest against the continued illegal presence and operations of Chinese Coast Guard vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

In a statement on Monday, the National Maritime Council (NMC) aired the Philippines’ objection to the continued illegal presence and activities of Chinese maritime forces and militia within the country's territorial sea and EEZ.

According to NMC, these actions clearly violate Republic Act No. 12064, the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, and international laws, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling.

 



“The vessels and air assets of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) were immediately deployed when the illegal presence and operations of China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels, CCG 5901 and CCG 3304, were respectively detected on [January] 5 and 10, 2025 in and around the waters of Bajo de Masinloc and about 70-90 nautical miles from the coastlines of the province of Zambales,” said NMC.

READ: China’s ‘Monster’ coast guard ship back in WPS 

“The PCG continuously challenged CCG 5901 and CCG 3304 and told them to leave the area immediately,” it added.

But NMC said the Chinese government, in a provocative move, also deployed a People's Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) helicopter, which hovered above a PCG vessel lawfully carrying out its duties in a peaceful and professional manner.

“The Philippines strongly opposes the continued illegal presence and operations of the CCG vessels, as well as the provocative actions of the PLA-N helicopter, within the country's maritime zones,” said NMC.

The agency then argued that the Philippines has long-standing sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea.

“Likewise, the Philippines has sovereign rights and jurisdiction beyond Bajo de Masinloc's territorial sea, over waters within the Philippines' EEZ measured from its lawful archipelagic baselines. These maritime zones, as declared in the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, are under the 1982 UNCLOS and the 2016 Arbitral Ruling. China does not have any basis to conduct law enforcement activities or maritime patrols over these waters,” it emphasized.

“In view of the situation, the Philippines has filed the appropriate diplomatic protest to counter China's recent illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea,” NMC concluded.

No details have been provided yet about the diplomatic protest filed against China, but INQUIRER.net has requested more information from the Department of Foreign Affairs.

China’s continued aggression in Philippine waters is borne out of its sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.

This claim, however, has long been dismissed by an arbitral tribunal.

READ: PH wins arbitration case over South China Sea 

 

 

(2025/01/13-13:59)