Duterte Reacts To Ayungin Water Canon Incident, Says It Doesn’t Speak Well For PH-China
DUTERTE REACTS TO AYUNGIN – A common theme among Filipino fishermen near the West Philippine Sea is intervention from the Chinese.
Recently, another incident occurred involving the Chinese Coast Guard using water canons to block Philippine supply boats. The vessels were supposed to be en route to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal for a resupply mission.
Because of this, Duterte said that the incident was something that doesn’t look well for the relationship between the Philippines and China. During the ASEAN-China special summit, the President said:
We abhor the recent event in the Ayungin Shoal and view with grave concern other similar developments. This does not speak well of the relations between our nations and our partnership
Previously, Duterte would much rather remain neutral regarding issues in the West Philippine Sea. However, this time, he even cited the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. Additionally, he also cited the 2016 Arbitral Award which “provided legal clarity”.
According to Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr:
Ayungin Shoal is part of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), which is an integral part of the Philippines, as well as Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, and over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction
Moreover, Locsin said that the acts of the Chinese Coast Guard should’ve been considered illegal. He explained that the Chinese had zero law enforcement rights around the area.
What do you think about this? Leave your comments below.
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