ni Ronalyn Seminiano Reonico | March 21, 2021
Aabot sa 220 Chinese Maritime Militia (CMM) Vessels ang namataan sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), ayon sa natanggap na ulat ng National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS). Sa ulat ng Philippine Coast Guard, ayon sa NTF-WPS, pumalaot ang mga naturang maritime militia vessels sa Julian Felipe Reef noong March 7.
Hindi naman umano involved sa fishing activities ang mga naturang vessels nang namataan ang mga ito. Saad pa ng NTF-WPS, “Despite clear weather at the time, the Chinese vessels massed at the reef showed no actual fishing activities and had their full white lights turned on during night time.”
Samantala, nabahala rin ang NTF-WPS sa insidente at saad pa ng ahensiya, “The NTF-WPS notes this circumstance as a concern due to the possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as risks to safety of navigation.”
Binigyang diin din ng NTF-WPS na ang Julian Felipe Reef na nasa 175-nautical miles sa kanluran ng Bataraza, Palawan ay sakop ng Pilipinas.
Saad pa ng NTF-WPS, “It is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Continental Shelf (CS), over which the country enjoys the exclusive right to exploit or conserve any resources which encompass both living resources, such as fish, and non-living resources such as oil and natural gas.”
Siniguro naman ng NTF-WPS na babantayan nilang maigi ang sitwasyon sa WPS para sa seguridad at proteksiyon ng bansa.
Saad pa ng NTF-WPS, “The Government will continue to monitor the situation as it remains steadfast in its duty to protect Philippine sovereignty and sovereign rights in the country’s maritime domain.”