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It's China who should leave Escoda Shoal, Tolentino says

Philippines | National

It's China who should leave Escoda Shoal, Tolentino says

By Dhel Nazario

China should be the one to leave Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino said on Monday, Aug. 19.

Senator Francis Tolentino (file photo)

This was after China's Foreign Ministry claimed in a statement that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) entered into the lagoon of Sabina (known as Xianbin Jiao in China) "without permission."

"China has protested to the Philippines through diplomatic channels and asked the Philippines to stop infringement activities and withdraw the vessel at once."

Tolentino said that BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701), the biggest ship of PCG, which has been deployed to Escoda (Sabina) Shoal for exactly four months on Sunday, Aug. 18, is within the country's 200-nautical mile Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

"Dapat siguro sila yung umalis, kasi nandoon tayo sa ating Exclusive Economic Zone. So bakit tayo? (I think it should be them that should leave, since we're within our EEZ. So why us?)" he said in an interview.

"Bakit sila magpa-file ng protest? Hindi tayo dapat ang paalisin doon kasi lugar natin yun (Why would they file a protest? We shouldn't be asked to leave the area because that's part of our territory)," he added.

Earlier this year, the PCG and marine scientific experts from the University of the Philippines (UP) noticed an unusual dumping of dead and crushed corals on the sandbars of Escoda Shoal in what they suspected as the initial stages of an island reclamation.

In response, the PCG sent BRP Teresa Magbanua to patrol the shoal on April 18, and she has never left the area since then, marking the longest deployment made by the PCG in the WPS.

Tolentino said that UP should continue its scientific explorations there if it's currently conducting such activities.

Related Tags

Senator Francis Tolentino Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) exclusive economic zone (EEZ) China's Foreign Ministry BRP Teresa Magbanua

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