Image Courtesy of BBC News
By Junex Doronio
HEEDING THE MARCHING ORDER of President and Commander-in-Chief Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Monday night bravely removed the dangerous floating barrier which it said the Chinese Coast Guard placed in the southeast portion of the Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) or Scarborough Shoal, well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Posting on X (formerly Twitter), PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela said, “The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal.”
Located 229.6 kilometers (124 nautical miles) away from Zambales province, the BDM or Scarborough Shoal is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is considered one of the traditional fishing grounds for Filipinos.
“The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that BDM is the traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen. Thus, any obstruction hindering the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk in the shoal violates international law. It also infringes on the Philippines’ sovereignty over BDM,” Tarriela stressed.
On Monday evening, September 25, the PCG conducted a special operation to remove the “hazardous floating barrier” in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) upon the instructions of President Marcos and Año, who also heads the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea.
But China argued that Scarborough Shoal, which it calls Huangyan Dao, has always been its territory, and thus it has “indisputable sovereignty” over the island. (ai/mnm)