The Philippines has claims over Julian Felipe Reef but has never been in possession of the area where hundreds of Chinese vessels were spotted last March, according of a Palace official.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque wondered about the fuss over Julian Felipe Reef, which he argued was not supposedly even part of the country's exclusive economic zone.
"We were never in possession of that area and we’re making a big thing out of the fact that that area naman in the first place was never under our possession," Roque said during a televised press briefing Tuesday, May 11.
"Pinalalaki po ang issue. Ang issue po talaga diyan is unang-una, fishing—kasi alam mo, ni hindi po iyan kabahagi ng ating EEZ iyong Julian Felipe (The issue is being blown out of proportion. The issue really there is first fishing. Because you know, Julian Felipe is not even part of our EEZ)," he added.
Last March, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the coast guard authorities reported 220 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted "moored in line formation" at the Julian Felipe Reef on March 7. The reef is located within the country's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, according to the task force.
Manila has filed several diplomatic protests against Beijing over the unlawful presence of the Chinese vessels in the area. China claimed that it owns the reef and that the fishing vessels were seeking refuge from rough seas.
Some Chinese vessels eventually left the area but other ships reportedly scattered to other parts of the West Philippine Sea.
In his remarks Tuesday, Roque bewailed that critics were supposedly unfairly blaming President Duterte over the Julian Felipe Reef incident. He said the critics were making a big deal out of the issue.
"Ang claim po natin Julian Felipe is an island, and an island generates maritime territory. Pero ni hindi nga po iyan kabahagi noong ating arbitration, napakalayo po talaga niyan sa atin (Our claim is Julian Felipe is an island and an island generates maritime territory but it is not part of the arbitration, it is very far away from us)," Roque added.
Roque, however, assured that the country was not abandoning its claim over Julian Felipe Reef.
"Ang sinasabi ko lang eh bakit ba binabato na naman sa Presidente iyan, eh wala namang isyu na hindi tayo in possession of that part of the disputed West Philippine Sea. Katotohanan po iyan (What I'm saying is why are they throwing it at the President. There is no issue that we are not in possession of that part of the disputed West Philippine Sea. That's the truth)," he added
In a later statement, Roque clarified that he never claimed that the reef was "not ours."
He said the country has never abandoned its claim over the reef, citing a Presidential Decree issued by former President Ferdinand Marcos that it is part of the Kalayaan Group of Islands.
"While Julian Felipe Reef is not within our Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), because it forms part of the territorial sea of Mckennan which we claim in accordance with the Marcos Presidential Decree, it is in our country's interest to continuously pursue our claim through diplomacy or in the future, by submitting it to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice," he said.