Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Filipino youth activists brave the waves as they hoist a Philippine flag on the shores of Zambales on Monday facing the West Philippine Sea as a symbol of the country’s claim of the disputed territory. The group embarked on the flag-raising in time with the celebration of Philippine Independence. Jun Dumaguing, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Rowegie Abanto

ABS-CBN News

Agence France-Presse

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175756196377120250812-bajo-de-masinloc-wps-pcg-BD039.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">A China Coast Guard vessel fires water cannon at a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources ship, August 11, 2025, near the Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. <em>Bianca Dava, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Philippines on Thursday rejected China&#x27;s plan to establish a nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal. </p><p>China&#x27;s State Council said establishing the reserve at Scarborough Shoal was &quot;an important measure for maintaining the diversity, stability, and sustainability of the natural ecosystem of Huangyan Island.&quot;</p><p>It also urged &quot;intensifying supervision and law enforcement of all illegal and irregular activities involving the nature reserve.&quot;</p><p>In a statement, Manila&#x27;s Department of Foreign Affairs said it would lodge a formal diplomatic protest against what it called an &quot;illegitimate and unlawful action by China.&quot;</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/world/2025/9/10/china-to-establish-nature-reserve-at-scarborough-shoal-2148">China to establish nature reserve at Scarborough Shoal</a></div><p>It said the plan &quot;clearly infringes upon the rights and interests of the Philippines in accordance with international law.&quot;</p><p>The Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, &quot;is a longstanding and integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction,&quot; the DFA said.</p><p>The Scarborough Shoal is a triangular chain of reefs and rocks and is known as Huangyan Island in China. It has been a flashpoint between the countries since China seized it from the Philippines in 2012.</p><p>The Philippines, the DFA added, also has the exclusive authority to establish environmental protection areas over its territory and relevant maritime zones in the West Philippine Sea, part of the larger South China Sea.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;IMMEDIATELY WITHDRAW&#x27;</strong></div><div><br/></div><p>In the same statement, the Philippines urged China to &quot;respect&quot; its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2024/12/12/china-carrying-out-maritime-occupation-in-west-philippine-sea-analyst-1326">China carrying out &#x27;maritime occupation&#x27; in West Philippine Sea: analyst</a></div><p>It told Beijing to &quot;refrain from enforcing and immediately withdraw&quot; its State Council issuance establishing the reserve at Scarborough Shoal.</p><p>Manila again urged Beijing to comply with its obligations under international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the &quot;final and binding&quot; 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea. </p><p>China has long ignored the 2016 arbitral award and insisted on its &quot;rights&quot; over the waterway.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>&#x27;EVENTUAL OCCUPATION&#x27;?</strong></div><div><strong> </strong></div><p>Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año said China&#x27;s move could be a setup for occupation.</p><p>“This move by the PRC is less about protecting the environment and more about justifying its control over a maritime feature that is part of the territory of the Philippines and its waters lie within the exclusive economic zone. It is a clear pretext towards eventual occupation,” Año said in a statement.</p><p>“The irony is clear: since 2016, evidence has shown large-scale harvesting of endangered species and reef destruction by Chinese fishermen, activities even cited by the Arbitral Tribunal. To now claim stewardship over an ecosystem that they themselves has damaged is both contradictory and misleading.”</p><div><strong>— With a report from Zen Hernandez, ABS-CBN News </strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS: </strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/se-F2DcQ_6g?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/_wjHJH4MSWo?&amp;t=56s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>In a statement, the Philippines urged China to "respect" its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc.</p>

In a statement, the Philippines urged China to "respect" its sovereignty and jurisdiction over Bajo de Masinloc.

Philippines protests China nature reserve plan for Scarborough Shoal

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Philippines protests China nature reserve plan for Scarborough Shoal

Rowegie Abanto,

ABS-CBN News,

Agence France-Presse

Published Sep 11, 2025 12:01 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 11, 2025 03:56 PM PHT

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China

Philippines

South China Sea

West Philippine Sea

DFA

Department of Foreign Affairs

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