NANINDIGAN ang Malakanyang na nasa soberanya ng Pilipinas ang Bajo de Masinloc.
Pahayag ito ng Palasyo bilang tugon sa sinabi ni Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin na may soberanya ang China sa Bajo de Masinloc o Panatag Shoal.
Sinabi ni acting Presidential Spokesman Martin Andanar, nananatili ang posisyon ng Pilipinas sa soberanya nito sa Bajo de Masinloc, at sa karapatan at hurisdiksyon ng bansa sa mga karagatang sakop nito at Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) nito.
“The Philippine position is we continue to exercise full sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc and its territorial sea, as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the surrounding EEZ and continental shelf,” pahayag ni Andanar.
Una nang iniulat ng Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) noong Marso 2 na nagkaroon ng insidente ng paglapit o paggalaw ng vessel ng Chinese Coast Guard, 21 yarda patungo sa BRP Malabrigo.
Samantala, sa inilabas na statement ni Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin “Huangyan Dao is China’s inherent territory. China has sovereignty over Huangyan Dao and its adjacent waters as well as sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters.”
“We hope that the Philippine ships will earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and rights and interests, abide by China’s domestic law and international law, and avoid interfering with the patrol and law enforcement of the China Coast Guard in the above-mentioned waters.”
Wala umanong kasalanan ang barko ng China sa napaulat na pambabarako nila sa isang patrol ship ng Philippine Coast Guard dahil nasa loob sila ng lugar na kanilang saklaw. EVELYN QUIROZ, VERLIN RUIZ