3 Chinese vessels still in Panatag Shoal

MANILA, Philippines - At least three Chinese vessels are still in the Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, more than a year after Beijing had intruded into the Philippine-owned area, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said Friday.

“Chinese vessels are still there – two CMS (Chinese Maritime Surveillance ships) and one FLEC (Fisheries Law Enforcement Command),” Gazmin said in an interview.

Gazmin said they are continuously monitoring the situation in the reef, which is well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone.

“We have naval and air assets there,” the defense chief said.

Gazmin, nevertheless, believes that the continuous presence of Chinese vessels in the shoal would not affect the Philippines’ ownership of the area.

Filipino fishermen who rely on the reef’s marine resources for their livelihood have been scared off by Chinese vessels, prompting some sectors to think that the foreign ships now have control of the area.

Despite the apparent bullying by Chinese intruders, Gazmin said the government would continue to seek a peaceful resolution to the issue.

“We do not want to escalate the problem. We have done our part by submitting this to an international court of arbitration,” he said.

Chinese occupation of the Panatag Shoal started on April 10, 2012, when surveillance vessels from Beijing barred the Philippine Navy from arresting Chinese fishermen who had poached endangered marine species from the shoal.

The ill-equipped Filipino authorities had failed to stop the fishermen from carting off their harvest. Upon their return to China, the Chinese poachers claimed that they were intimidated by Philippine forces.

The incident led to a standoff between the technologically superior Chinese vessels and Philippine ships that lasted for two months.

The standoff ended on June 15, 2012 after Malacanang ordered a pullout of Philippine vessels allegedly due to bad weather.

These ships – one from the Coast Guard and one from the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources – used to symbolize the Philippines’ ownership of the area.

The Philippines has not sent even a single ship to the area since then.

There are no indications that China will stop its intrusion in the area and some experts believe that Beijing will even shore up its presence to assert its sovereignty.

The Philippines has called on China to settle the issue before the international court. China, however, has rejected the invitation and insists that it has undisputable sovereignty over the area.