Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte (PPAB)

Camarines Sur 2nd district Rep. LRay Villafuerte says law enforcement units and other concerned agencies should brace for more "hostile maneuvers" from China following the publication of its new 10-dash line claim in the South China Sea. 

Villafuerte said this 10-dash line, which is even more expansive than the nine-dash line in the previous standard map of China, overlaps with the exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of the Philippines in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

It also covers the EEZs of Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia and  Brunei. 

The Bicolano said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) "should expect even more hostile maneuvers by Chinese vessels in our seas following the Aug. 27 release by China’s Ministry of Natural Resources of the 2023 version of its standard map". 

Manila has rejected the 10-dash line under the new map.

This new map also claims as Chinese territory the whole of Taiwan plus India’s Arunachal Pradesh and its Aksai Chin plateau, Villafuerte said. 

Villafuerte has been a vocal backer of the calls for joint maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) between the Philippines and its allies like the United States (US) and Japan. 

The veteran solon said he hopes that "We can have some sort of an agreement in terms of joint patrols. So in a way it will deter the bullying, interference of the Chinese." 

In July 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in the Hague, Netherlands invalidated Beijing nine-dash line claim. The arbitration case was pursued by the Philippines during the administration of the late president Benigno S. Aquino III.