Sen. Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan criticized China over its plan to establish a nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal,  maintaining that the Philippines has ownership of this maritime asset.

“Una, hindi inyo yan. Sa lahat ng batas—domestic o international man, amin ‘yan. May karapatan ang Pilipinas sa Scarborough Shoal (First, it is not yours. By all laws—domestic or international, it is ours. The Philippines has rights to Scarborough Shoal),” Pangilinan said in a statement on Sunday, September 14.

Pangilinan said its proximity to the Philippines—which is at 124 nautical miles or 220 kilometers) from the nearest Philippine coast in the province of Zambales—is a clear contrast to China, which is almost four times as far from the nearest Chinese coast, in the province of Hainan, or about 472 nautical miles (or 875 km).

“You have been illegally occupying ours for a long time. You have been there illegally since 2012,” he lamented.

Moreover, the senator said China is the one destroying the environment in the area.

Pangalawa, kayo ang sumisira ng kalikasan d’yan. Mga mangingisdang Tsino ang gumagawa ng malawakang pag-aani ng mga endangered giant clam. Para makuha ang mga tulya, sinisira at dinudurog niyo ang mga coral reef ng Panatag Shoal (Second, you are destroying the environment there. Chinese fishermen are engaged in large-scale harvesting of endangered giant clams. To get the clams, you are destroying and crushing the coral reefs of Panatag Shoal),” he said.

“Nagpapalawak din kayo ng sinasakop, at nagde-dredging at reclamation sa ilang features na malapit sa shoal. Sinisira niyo ang mga reef at marine life. ‘Yung mga research vessel niyo, binubulabog din ang mga sensitibong tirahan ng marine life (You are also expanding your occupation, and are dredging and reclamation of several features near the shoal. You are destroying the reefs and marine life. Your research vessels are also disturbing sensitive habitats of marine life),” the senator added.

Pangilinan noted that the damage to marine ecosystems in the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is already in the billions.

“Sa tantya namin, ang pinsala sa mga marine ecosystem sa aming EEZ bunga ng galawan ng China ay umaabot sa bilyun-bilyong piso taon-taon (We estimate that the damage to marine ecosystems in our EEZ as a result of China's actions amounts to billions of pesos annually),” Pangilinan lamented.

“Kaya bilang may-ari ng Panatag Shoal, eto ang mensahe natin sa China: Alis dyan (So as the owner of Panatag Shoal, here is our message to China: Get out of there)!” the senator said.

Over the weekend, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it has already formally filed a diplomatic protest against China over its plan to build a nature reserve in the Scarborough Shoal.

According to the DFA, the note verbale “is a strong, unequivocal and formal articulation of Philippine objections to the Chinese action.”

The diplomatic protest is just the latest among the repeated attempts of the Philippine government to discourage China’s provocative moves in the West Philippine Sea and declare these as unacceptable for the country.