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Manila [Philippines]BEIJING, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) — The Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs told China on Tuesday that the Filipino fishermen who were driven away by the Chinese Coast Guard from the Ayungin Shoal in the Philippines have the right to fish in the waters and “take everything they deserve.” “In accordance with Philippine and international law, philstar Global reports.
Previously, the Philippine Coast Guard reported that a Chinese coast guard vessel (CCGV) had taken away a Filipino fishing boat in the area on Jan. 3 to 5 days after China’s state visit.
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“The department is awaiting official reports from the military and our law enforcement agencies on the CCG’s actions to force Filipino fishermen in Ayungin Shoal to leave the area. These reports will serve as the basis for diplomatic action on the incident,” the DFA said.
The department added that the Philippines “has the right to exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the area free from any interference by other countries,” citing domestic and international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Hague ruling, according to philstar Global Reports that China continues to ignore.
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Over the weekend, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it was investigating an incident at Ayungin Shoal on January 9 after Lito Al-os, captain of Filipino fishing boat KEN-KEN, reported being driven away by CCGV 5204 while fishing in nearby waters .
The Chinese vessel maneuvered at approximately 800 yards and deployed a rigid-hull inflatable boat, whose crew signaled the Filipinos to leave. According to philstar Global, the Chinese vessel “continued to follow” as far as Boxall Reef.
The Philippine Pacific Coast Guard said it immediately deployed more coast guard vessels to bolster its presence in the West Philippine Sea. The permanent Philippine presence at Ayungin Shoal was established in 1996.
According to philstar Global, Marcos acknowledged during a roundtable meeting with Filipino media that the Chinese government needs to take action, noting that the PCG only stays within Philippine waters.
“Let me clarify the content of our conversation with President Xi. It was very simple. I said we have to raise the level of this dialogue between the Philippines and China,” the president added.
In a separate statement, the Philippine Fishermen’s Movement National Fleet (PAMALAKAYA) fisherman’s group urged the National Task Force – West Philippine Sea to protest after the Chinese coast guard was harassed, philstar Global reported.
“The videos taken by the fishermen are sufficient proof that China’s presence in the region and the intimidation of Filipinos by the Chinese Coast Guard in our own waters is still widespread. This can be a strong basis for the Philippines to lodge a diplomatic protest against the Chinese government,” said PAMALAKAYA NATIONAL Chairman Fernando Hicap said in a statement over the weekend.
In 2013, the Philippines challenged the legal basis of China’s broad claims in the South China Sea at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Netherlands. Manila won a landmark ruling in 2016 after a court invalidated Beijing’s claims.
China has ignored and downplayed the ruling, maintaining “indisputable” and “historic” claims to almost the entire waters while encroaching on the territory of smaller neighbors such as the Philippines.
For years, the Philippines, China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei, Taiwan and China have been engaged in territorial disputes in the South China Sea, a key sea lane for oil and gas discoveries.
China has since stepped up land reclamation activities in other disputed areas, transforming previously submerged landscapes into artificial islands with multi-storey buildings and runways. It has also installed surface-to-air missiles in those areas, raising concerns in countries including the United States, Japan and Australia. (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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