Senator calls out loitering China vessels in Philippines Rise

senator calls out loitering china vessels in philippines rise

Senator calls out loitering China vessels in Philippines Rise

MANILA, Philippines — Chinese vessels were caught “loitering” and doing research in Benham Rise, also called Philippine Rise, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone, Sen. Francis Tolentino said yesterday.

In an interview over radio station dwIZ, Tolentino said the Chinese research vessels have no business being in Benham Rise in the country’s eastern waters.

“They are loitering there because they are interested in the area, but they need our permission before they can do the research,” he added.

The senator warned the Chinese vessels that their incursions would be illegal under the proposed Maritime Zones Bill, a recently passed Senate measure seeking to delineate the country’s internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, EEZ and continental shelf.

“Maybe they are not yet aware of the bill, but even if they loiter there, it is clear that that is our area. With the measure, more countries will recognize our maritime rights in the area, even if the one country loitering there does not,” he said, referring to China.

Tolentino expressed hope that the Congress bicameral conference committee would be able to reconcile varying versions of the Maritime Zones Bill, so that this can be signed into law by the President as soon as possible.

Maritime zones are drawn with the baselines as the starting point. The country’s archipelagic baselines are defined in Republic Act 9522, which was passed in 2009.

The Maritime Zones Bill seeks to bolster the country’s territorial integrity amid China’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela continued to refute claims by China on its illegal claim over the WPS.

“The People’s Republic of China is distorting the concept by packaging its illegal territorial claims as jurisdiction,’ avoiding the legal and political facts of its illegal presence within the Philippines’ EEZ, and seeking to solidify its illegal gains in the West Philippine Sea,” he wrote.

News Related

OTHER NEWS

Aliw Awards nominations out

ALIW Awards Foundation Inc. President Alice H. Reyes has released the names of finalists for the 2023 Aliw Awards to be presented on Dec. 11, 2023, at the Manila Hotel ... Read more »

WhatsApp Web gains the feature of single-view photos and videos

WhatsApp Web gains the feature of single-view photos and videos (Photo: Unsplash) The WhatsApp Web, the desktop version of the popular messaging app from Meta, has received an update allowing ... Read more »

Young athletes’ time to shine in Siklab Awards

Young athletes’ time to shine in Siklab Awards MANILA, Philippines — The future heroes of Philippine sports will be honored during the third Siklab Youth Sports Awards on Dec. 4 ... Read more »

Local exec says 5-10 barangays still isolated in Northern Samar

Graphics by Jannielyn Ann Bigtas A local government official said Monday that five to 10 barangays in Northern Samar are still isolated following the massive flooding in the area last ... Read more »

App made by ex-jeepney driver will let you pay PUV fare, book tricycles

DyipPay app lets you pay jeepney fare, book tricycles “Barya lang po sa umaga.” Everyone who rides jeepneys knows this rule: it may not be an actual law, but it’s ... Read more »

Updated In-Season Tournament Bracket ahead of pool play finale

Updated In-Season Tournament Bracket ahead of pool play finale Tuesday will mark the last day of pool play for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. From there, six first-place teams and ... Read more »

PCG forms teams for maritime emergency response

PCG forms teams for maritime emergency response MANILA, Philippines — Recent incidents of fishermen lost in the waters off Southern Tagalog have prompted the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to form ... Read more »
Top List in the World