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Ex-DFA chief slams Chinese close encounter with PH ship at Scarborough Shoal

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Raffy Cabristante, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Philippine Coast Guard FB" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/news/03/27/china-cg.jpg"/><figcaption>A vessel of the Chinese Coast Guard sails close to the Philippines&#x27; BRP Malabrigo at Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on March 2, 2022. <em>Courtesy: Philippine Coast Guard Facebook page/screengrab</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA — Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario on Wednesday slammed the Chinese Coast Guard for its ‘close distance maneuvering’ against a Philippine Coast Guard vessel at Bajo de Masinloc earlier this month, maintaining that the Philippines has sovereignty over the area.</p><p>&quot;We condemn the malicious and reckless action of the Chinese Coast Guard in endangering the lives of the Filipinos aboard BRP Malabrigo,&quot; del Rosario said in a statement.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/27/22/coast-guard-reports-close-distance-maneuvering-of-chinese-ship">Coast Guard reports ‘close distance maneuvering’ of Chinese ship in Scarborough Shoal</a></li></ul><p>The country&#x27;s former top diplomat said Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal, is well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).</p><p>Because of this, the Philippines has “exclusive sovereign rights” over the area, something which has been affirmed by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands in 2016, he said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/29/22/beijing-stresses-its-sovereignty-over-scarborough-shoal">Beijing stresses its sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal after Coast Guard incident</a></li></ul><p>“Bajo de Masinloc is a territory of the Philippines. It is under the sovereignty of the Philippines, not China. Therefore, the presence and conduct of patrol by the Chinese Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc is illegal and affects the peace in the West Philippine Sea and the South China Sea,” Del Rosario said.</p><p>He described the close encounter of the Chinese Coast Guard with the Philippines’ BRP Malabrigo as in “violation of existing international law and agreements.”</p><p>“It is clear that the dangerous maneuver by the Chinese Coast Guard was not merely incidental, accidental or by chance. It was deliberate. It was malicious… Similar actions of the Chinese Coast Guard in the past had been the subject of the Philippine Arbitration against China adjudged in 2016 as violative of international law,” he said.</p><p>Del Rosario underscored the proximity of Bajo de Masinloc to the Philippines, saying it is situated around 124 to 126 nautical miles off Zambales. In contrast, it is some 400 nautical miles away from the Chinese island of Hainan.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/16/read-arbitral-courts-ruling-on-philippines-vs-china">READ: Arbitral court&#x27;s ruling on Philippines vs China</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/12/16/intl-court-backs-ph-on-dispute-vs-china">Int&#x27;l court backs PH on dispute vs China</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/13/16/ph-fishermen-have-right-to-fish-in-scarborough-hilbay">PH fishermen have right to fish in Scarborough: Hilbay</a></li></ul><p>He also maintained that there is sufficient documentation of the Philippines’ sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc.</p><p>After the American colonial period, he said, the Philippines succeeded the United States in exercising sovereignty over the rock. </p><p>“The Philippines exercised effective jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc peacefully over a long period of time without interference from any other country,” he said.</p><p>Del Rosario was the Foreign Secretary during the administration of the late President Benigno Aquino III.</p><p>The Philippine Coast Guard reported the latest incident at Bajo de Masinloc last Sunday.</p><p>The government has since lodged a diplomatic protest against China over the incident, according to National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon, Jr.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/29/22/ph-files-diplomatic-protest-vs-china-ships-close-distance-maneuvering">Philippines files diplomatic protest over Chinese ship&#x27;s &#x27;close distance maneuvering&#x27;</a></li></ul><p>China&#x27;s expansive claim over the South China Sea has been invalidated by the 2016 arbitral award. It continues to disregard the ruling.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1980576" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

Former DFA Sec. Albert del Rosario slammed China for closely sailing by a PCG vessel at Bajo de Masinloc, maintaining that the Philippines has sovereignty over the area.

Ex-DFA chief slams Chinese close encounter with PH ship at Scarborough Shoal

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Ex-DFA chief slams Chinese close encounter with PH ship at Scarborough Shoal

Raffy Cabristante,

ABS-CBN News

Published Mar 30, 2022 10:34 PM PHT

Read More:

Bajo de Masinloc

DFA

Albert del Rosario

Philippines

China

Scarborough Shoal

West Philippine Sea

Philippine Coast Guard

Panatag Shoal

Philippines China

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