Manila, Philippines – The Department of National Defense (DND) has condemned the dangerous actions of Chinese ships against Filipino fishermen in the Escoda Shoal area.
The DND also called the water cannon fire by the Chinese Coast Guard and the Chinese Maritime Militia Vessel against Filipinos as inhumane actions.
Three Filipino fishermen were injured and two fishing boats were damaged after being water cannoned by large Chinese ships.
The DND also called on China to abide by its mandate from the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final decision of the 2016 Arbitral Ruling.
According to the DND, the non-recognition of international rules-based orders affects peace and stability in the region.
The DND said that they will abide by the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to protect Filipinos, while also working through diplomatic and legal mechanisms to protect Manila’s sovereignty, rights, and jurisdiction.
Yesterday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) filed a Demarche against the Chinese government following the incident.
Beijing has not yet made a statement on this, but as China has repeatedly defended, the Nansha Quando is part of their territory as stated in what they call the 9-dashline, a matter that was invalidated by the 2016 Arbitration Ruling.—Alvin Pelobello, Eurotv News