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The crew from the F/B John, a fishing vessel taking part in Atin Ito's civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea, distributes gasoline and food packs to fishermen in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on May 15, 2024. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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Scarborough

Bianca Dava

RG Cruz

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/171636239902820240515-atin-ito-wps-MT-27.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left"><span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(51, 51, 51);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:pre-wrap;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">The crew from the F/B John, a fishing vessel taking part in Atin Ito&#x27;s civilian mission to the West Philippine Sea, distributes gasoline and food packs to fishermen in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) on May 15, 2024. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span><em> </em></span></span></span></div><div><br id="isPasted"/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">A Navy official on Wednesday said the Philippine government would not allow China’s regulation of detaining foreign nationals “trespassing” in the South China Sea.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">In a press briefing at Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad condemned China’s threats to jail “trespassers” in the West Philippine Sea, which Beijing considers its territorial waters.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“Not only the Philippine Navy, but the entire Philippine government and the nation, will not allow this based on the pronouncement of our commander in chief that this is totally unacceptable,” Trinidad said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Trinidad repeated President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s pronouncement that China’s detention policy is completely unacceptable.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“I would like to emphasize the statement of our commander in chief: This is totally unacceptable. First and foremost, it has no basis in international law. It has already been ruled by the arbitral tribunal that the 9-dash line does not have legal entitlements. Hence, this reaction of the China Coast Guard is illegal, it is unacceptable,” he told reporters.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/20/china-s-detention-policy-for-trespassers-part-of-scare-tactics-security-exec-1623">China&#x27;s detention policy for &#x27;trespassers&#x27; part of &#x27;scare tactics&#x27; — security exec</a></span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Beijing’s controversial regulation, which will take effect in June, allows the China Coast Guard to detain “trespassers” for up to 60 days, according to a report by the South China Morning Post.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">Trinidad said that should China push through with this, the Philippine Navy has contingency plans.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“The AFP has plans. We have a lot of plans so that if the situation arises, we know what to do. Rest assured, we have a lot of contingency plans, not just for this particular incident, but for a range of incidents that may happen,” Trinidad said.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap">“The guidance is we will continue performing our mandate of ensuring and protecting the Filipinos and securing and protecting our sovereignty. It will not deter us in performing our mandate,” he added.</span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><span style="color:#000000;background-color:transparent;text-decoration:none;vertical-align:baseline;white-space:pre-wrap"> </span></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/5/20/philippines-to-snub-china-s-arrest-threat-vs-trespassers-1340">PH to snub China&#x27;s arrest threat vs &#x27;trespassers&#x27;</a></div><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">The Department of Foreign Affairs can officially protest the reported China’s policy once it has secured an official translation, Ganchoon said.</p><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&quot;Any state can issue any laws they want to issue, even if it’s contrary to international law because it’s within their sovereign right. But by the time that you implement that law that is contrary to international law against another state, then that becomes a problem,&quot; she said. </p><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">Ganchoon said the first recourse would be to file a diplomatic protest once the DFA confirms the law.</p><div dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt"><br/></div><p dir="ltr" style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt">&quot;The DOJ cannot form an opinion on a law that has not been officially translated into English because some of the words there baka iba yung pagka-translate,&quot; Ganchoon said. &quot;Once we confirm that the provisions are indeed in violation of international [law], including the arbitral award… we can really file a diplomatic protest.&quot; </p><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><br/></div>

<p>A Navy official on Wednesday said the Philippine government would not allow China’s regulation of detaining foreign nationals “trespassing” in the South China Sea.</p>

A Navy official on Wednesday said the Philippine government would not allow China’s regulation of detaining foreign nationals “trespassing” in the South China Sea.

Philippines won’t allow China to arrest Filipinos in West PH Sea: official

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Philippines won’t allow China to arrest Filipinos in West PH Sea: official

Bianca Dava,

RG Cruz,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 22, 2024 03:35 PM PHT

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Updated May 22, 2024 03:38 PM PHT

Read More:

China

detention policy

arrest trespassers

West Philippine Sea

South China Sea

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