Malacañang on Tuesday said it will let the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) decide on the lingering presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS).
This was after a Washington-based geospatial imagery and data analysis firm Simularity reported Monday that Chinese ships still remain in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in WPS.
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, in an online presser, said the National Task Force (NTF) on WPS has yet to release a report validating the authenticity of Simularity’s claim about China’s continued incursions into the Philippine waters.
“First and foremost, I don’t know if that is true because our practice is the National Task Force on West Philippine Sea is giving us situation reports on West Philippine Sea. I have yet to receive its report,” he said.
The NTF-WPS, which releases statements and photos of Chinese ships, is covered by Duterte’s directive not to issue public statements on WPS disputes between the Philippines and China.
Meanwhile, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday warned of increasing Chinese incursions once 100 percent foreign ownership of utilities is allowed.
She noted that amendments to the Public Service Act (PSA), which will allow 100 percent foreign ownership of public utilities, will make way for China to own crucial infrastructure in the Philippines.
She said China could use this as leverage against the Philippines when it comes to territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.
"They're already getting our natural resources in our waters. Let us not allow China to lord over our industries in our land," she said. “What will be left for the Philippines?”
The proposed amendments to the PSA open up the telecommunications and transportation industries to 100 percent foreign ownership.
Hontiveros, who voted “no” to the approval of China-owned Dito Telecommunity’s franchise, has stated that improving services in the country should not come at the expense of national security.
“We have vital national security interests that should never be compromised," she said.
"We should heighten restrictions on foreign ownership as China’s encroachment in the WPS escalates; not make it easier for her to establish a stronghold in our own land,” Hontiveros said.
The DFA, Roque said, has the discretion on whether to pursue a diplomatic protest against China over the presence of its vessels in WPS.
“We are letting DFA decide whether that is true or not. If that is true, it will be the one to decide whether it should file a diplomatic protest or not,” Roque said.
Approximately 120 Chinese ships are still within the country’s EEZ located on the Philippine side of the Tizard Bank in the Spratly Islands, according to the data released by Simularity.
Satellite images released by Simularity dated April 28 showed that approximately 11 vessels are in Julian Felipe Reef, 158 ships near McKennan (Hughes) Reef, and 87 ships near Burgos (Gaven) Reef.
Based on the satellite images on May 13, no ships were detected at Julian Felipe Reef and McKennan Reef.
However, around 234 Chinese vessels have been spotted on Burgos Reef, as of May 18.
Roque said Beijing’s presence in Burgos Reef came no longer a surprise since it is “occupied by China.”
“They have an artificial island there that serves as its military base. I am saying this because around 234 ships were allegedly spotted there,” he said.
On May 17, the DFA lodged a diplomatic protest against China’s alleged fishing moratorium, which runs from May 1 to August 16 and covers “waters north of 12 degrees north latitude” which encroaches areas on Philippine territory and exclusive economic zone, including the Bajo de Masinloc.
The senator noted that there are still unresolved national security concerns on existing public utilities in which China has a 40 percent stake, such as the country’s main power grid system, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), as well as its third telecommunications company, Dito Telecommunity.
In 2019, Hontiveros filed Senate Resolution No. 223 to investigate and conduct a national security audit of the operations and facilities of the NGCP.
That same year, she also filed Senate Resolution 137 to investigate the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) deal with Dito, which allows the company to build facilities inside AFP camps and stations.
"We are all for economic development, but never at the expense of our national dignity and sovereignty,” Hontiveros said.
Earlier, the Navy said it has rescued 31 fishermen after their fishing boat sustained damage off Nares Bank in the West Philippine Sea.
In a statement late Monday night, Commodore Donn Anthony Miraflor, Naval Forces West commander, said they received a radio report from Jofel Alipustain, captain of the fishing boat FB Española on Sunday saying that fishing boat FB Pauline 2 sustained hull damage.
The offshore patrol vessel BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) was the first to arrive at the scene on Monday and its crew immediately helped the distressed fishermen who were all taken aboard and given medical assistance, food, and accommodation.
"The 31 fishermen are now onboard PS-35 and (are) scheduled to be transported to San Jose, Occidental Mindoro," Miraflor said.