MANILA, Philippines — China has rejected the Philippines' appeal to take the dispute over Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal to an international court.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin said Wednesday that China has evidence to prove its ownership of the shoal, where military vessels of both countries have been facing off since last week.
The Philippines said the shoal is well within the country's 230-mile (370-kilometer) exclusive economic zone that is recognized under the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea.
Liu said that claim is "completely baseless."
The Philippines is appealing to China to bring the dispute before the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS).
In a statement released to on Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reiterated that the shoal is part of Philippine territory, and actually part of a province in Luzon, called the Bajo de Masinloc.
"Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippine territory. It is part of the Municipality of Masinloc, Province of Zambales. It is located 124 nautical miles west of Zambales and is within the 200 nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Philippine Continental Shelf," the DFA said.
The DFA also debunked China's "historical" claim over the shoal. It said that the claim has yet to be substantiated "by a clear historic title."
"It should be noted that under public international law, historical claims are not historical titles. A claim by itself, including historical claim, could not be a basis for acquiring a territory," the DFA said.
Malacañang, meanwhile, reiterated that the Philippines will continue to look for "diplomatic, legal and peaceful" means to resolve the dispute over the shoal.
Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said in a press briefing in Malacañang that the best way to resolve the dispute is through international law and international legal procedures.
“The best way to resolve the issue is through international law and international legal procedures which all nations have promised to adhere to so we are looking for peaceful and clear solutions to the issue...," Carandang said.
He said that part of the government's effort to solve the issue through international procedures is the DFA's appeal to China to settle the dispute in the ITLOS.
"... as the President said, we don’t intend to go to war over this. If we can resolve this diplomatically, peacefully and legally then that is what we are going to do., so in adherence with our stand that it should resolved in consistency with the international law, that is what we are asking from China,” he added. – AP