The Philippines has asserted its sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal as the country's envoy to the United Nations (UN) faced other members of the international body and rejected China's claim over the waters.
Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Antonio Lagdameo delivered a strong statement during the UN General Assembly's debate on 'Oceans and Law of the Sea,' where he said the shoal, which has witnessed multiple cases of harassment from China, "has always been an integral part of the territory of the Philippines."
"Only the Philippines, in the exercise of its sovereignty, has the right to establish baselines, and the breadth of the territorial sea around Bajo de Masinloc, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea," Lagdameo said.
He also rejected China's baseline claim in the waters off Bajo de Masinloc, which he said is situated off the western coast of Luzon.
China is claiming the entire South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea as well as the features within it, such as Bajo de Masinloc (known in China as Huangyan Dao).
China's "depositing with the UN Secretary General a Chart of baselines of territorial sea showing straight baselines and outer limits of the territorial sea, as well as a list of geographical coordinates of points in relation thereto, is a violation of UNCLOS and undermines the rules-based international order," he said.
Quoting Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo, Lagdameo said that multilateralism is underwritten by a rules-based order governed by international law and informed by the principles of equity and justice, that safeguards the rights of all states.
He also said that the emergency facing the ocean is a reminder to uphold the rule of law, especially in addressing the drivers that apply pressure on it, such as disputes over access to resources and maritime boundaries.
He stressed that the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea, which he said is binding, constitute the foundation of the Philippines’ policy on the South China Sea.
“In compliance with UNCLOS, the Philippines enacted this year two landmark laws: the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act. With these, we reinforce the alignment of our domestic laws with UNCLOS, improve our capacity for ocean governance, and enhance our maritime policies for economic development and for national security,” he said.
Amid his firm assertion over the Philippines' claim over Bajo de Masinloc, Lagdameo said, the country remains committed to diplomacy and other peaceful means to settle disputes.
"We abide by the UN Charter and the Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Resolution of Disputes in asserting our sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction in the South China Sea," he added.