China navy patrol ship runs aground in shoal off Palawan Island Philippines

A Chinese naval frigate has run aground while patrolling disputed waters in the South China Sea, the defense ministry said Friday, amid tensions with the Philippines over territorial claims.

The ship was on "routine patrol" when it became stranded near Half Moon Shoal in the Spratly Islands on  July 11, 2012 Wednesday evening, the ministry said in a statement posted on its website.

The shoal is off the Philippine island of Palawan.

No one was injured or killed in the accident and the navy was now organizing a rescue, the statement said, but gave no further details.

The Philippines said it was trying to confirm the reports and would offer assistance to any vessel in distress.

"We have to find out why that ship was there, why it ran aground, whether it was an accident or whatever," Defense Secretary Voltaire Gamin told reporters.

"If we have to offer assistance to help them get out of that place, we will assist them," he added.

The Sydney Morning Herald on Friday quoted Western diplomatic sources as saying the frigate, which has been discouraging fishing boats from the Philippines from entering the area, was "thoroughly stuck".

China says it has sovereign rights to all the South China Sea, believed to sit atop vast oil and gas deposits, including areas close to the coastlines of other countries and hundreds of kilometers (miles) from its own landmass.

But Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, and the Philippines also claim parts of the West Philippines Sea (South China Sea).

The Spratlys are one of the biggest island chains in the area.

The rival claims have long made the South China Sea one of Asia's potential military flashpoints, and tensions have escalated over the past year.

The Philippines and Vietnam have complained China is becoming increasingly aggressive in its actions in the area, such as harassing fishermen, and also through bullying diplomatic tactics.

AFP

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Vietnam side by side Philippines - China disputed sea Row

Vietnam signed with the Philippines

The Philippines and Vietnam have agreed to protect the delicate marine ecosystem in the West Philippine Sea from threats of overexploitation, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The DFA said the agreement was made to address illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in accordance with the national laws of both countries.

Senior officials of both countries also endorsed the enhancement of cooperation on maritime and ocean matters. This includes the elevation of the Joint Permanent Working Group on Maritime and Ocean Concerns into a vice ministerial level, continued support for the Joint Oceanographic and Marine Scientific Research in the South China Sea, and implementation of the Memorandum of Agreement on Oil Spill Preparedness and the MOA on Search and Rescue at Sea.

The Philippines is also worry of any possible damage that would greatly affect the Philippines Marine Ecosystem as the Spratlys sea bed is link and inter connected with the Philippines and the area is just very close to the country than the other claimants.

The Philippines is also aware of any unwanted oil spills in the sea will closely affect the Palawan seas as the area is just few kilometers away and the Spratlys  is within Philippines' proximity.

The Philippines and Vietnam are claimants to the potentially oil-rich waters and land features of West Philippine Sea.

The DFA said the Philippines and Vietnam agreed to speed up implementation of the MOA on Defense Cooperation and the MOA on Academic Cooperation as 11 areas of cooperation were reviewed.

"This is more than a wish list. It is a commitment to steer Philippines-Vietnam relations towards a more meaningful and deeper cooperation," Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said.

Del Rosario acknowledged the 11 areas of cooperation reviewed by senior officials of both countries at the 6th Philippines-Vietnam Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation held in Hanoi on Oct. 6 and 7 2011.

The MOA on Defense Cooperation and the MOA on Academic Cooperation were signed last year.

This year, the Philippines and Vietnam are celebrating the 35th anniversary of diplomatic relations.

Since the last Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation in 2008, the two countries worked together on a number of areas such as political cooperation, defense and security, trade and investments, maritime and ocean concerns, agriculture, energy, tourism, education and culture.

Del Rosario and Vietnamese Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh highlighted the official exchanges that continue to give impetus to the bilateral relations, notably the positive outcomes of the visit to Vietnam by President Aquino in October 2010 and the forthcoming visit of President Truong Tang to the Philippines later this month.

An action plan for 2011-2016 is expected to be launched during President Tang's visit to drive the cooperation to a comprehensive and solid partnership.

China and Vietnam sign agreement to cool sea dispute

China and Vietnam signed an agreement seeking to contain a dispute over the South China Sea that has stoked tensions between the two Communist-ruled neighbors divided by a history of distrust, China's official news agency said on Wednesday.

Diplomats signed the six-point agreement on Tuesday (October 11, 2011), while the General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, held conciliatory talks with Hu Jintao, who is China's Communist Party chief and president.

Vietnam and China, the Philippines - as well as, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan - stake conflicting claims of sovereignty over parts of the South China Sea, a potentially oil and gas rich body of water spanned by key shipping lanes.

Under the deal that builds on Beijing's efforts to cool tensions over rival territorial claims in the South China Sea, the two sides agreed to open a hotline to deal with potential maritime flare-ups and hold border negotiation talks twice a year.

"The two countries should remain committed to friendly consultations in order to properly handle maritime issues and make the South China Sea a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation," said the agreement, according to China's Xinhua news agency.

"Both sides should solve maritime disputes through negotiations and friendly consultations."

The bridge-building effort could dispel some of the rancour that has built up in the region, setting Beijing against Southeast Asian nations that have turned to the United States to counter growing Chinese military and political influence.

Last month, China's top official newspaper warned that a joint energy project between India and Vietnam in the sea infringed China's territorial claims.

In May and June, Vietnam accused Chinese vessels of harassing Vietnamese ships within Vietnam's exclusive economic zone. China denied its ships had done anything wrong.

Businessmen and diplomats say China has pressured foreign firms in deals with Vietnam not to develop oil blocks in the sea.

China helped Vietnamese Communist forces to victory in their decades-long fight against U.S. backed forces, but the two Asian nations have a history of mutual distrust reflecting Vietnam's anxieties about its much bigger neighbor. In 1979, they fought a short but bitter border war.

On the day that the agreement was signed, China's President Hu told Vietnam's party chief Trong their two countries should try to get along.

Inspite of the Philippines leading for the Unity for the ASEAN to solve the Spratlys disputes; China still insist for 1 on 1 resolution and refused the challenge of the Philippines to bring the issue to the United Nations ITLOS. 

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Why China refused to bring the Spratlys issue to the United Nations?

Is it because China knew that they can’t win over the spratlys so they refused to raise the Spratlys disputes to the United Nations?

Based on applicable international maritime and related laws, China knows that if she petitions the United Nations International Court of Justice or the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea to affirm her dubious claim that she owns everything in the South China Sea aka West Philippine Sea — her chances of winning are about as likely as having a snowfall in the Sahara desert.

Both Courts have proper jurisdictions to settle sovereignty issues between nations regarding marine territories — such as those concerning the Spratly and Paracel islands.

Staging …..

Let’s imagine  what most likely would happen if  China does take her case to the International Court of Justice  and the representative of China — let’s call him Mr. Li — is before the Court headed by the Presiding Judge. Consider this scenario:

Judge:  “Please inform this Court of the basis for your claim that the entire South China Sea aka West Philippines Sea belongs completely to the People’s Republic of China?”

Mr. Li: “Thank you, your honor. Our claim is based on the historical fact that this entire area has belonged to us since the Han Dynasty.”

Judge: “How do you intend to prove your case?”

Mr. Li: “I will present to this Court an almost two thousand year old Han Dynasty map that indicates the limits of the Han Dynasty kingdom.”

Judge: “Let’s  assume for purposes of discussion  that  the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and other surrounding countries were provinces or part of the Han Dynasty during its time even if the map you hold may just actually be a navigational map which does not really define the limits of the Han Dynasty. Now my study of China’s history indicate that the Han Dynasty lasted from 206 B.C. To 220 A.D.  Is this correct?”

Mr. Li: “Yes your honor.”

Judge: “I assume Mr. Lee that you are familiar with Alexander the Great, the young Macedonian king who conquered much of the ancient world.”

Mr. Li: “I am, your honor.”

Judge: “At the time of his death in 323 B.C., Alexander’s kingdom included Greece, Syria, Persia now known as Iran, Egypt and a part of India. Are you aware Mr. Lee that Macedonia, Alexander’s country — is now known as the Republic of Macedonia?”

Mr. Li: “If you say so your honor.”

Judge: “Good! You appear to know your history. I assume you are also familiar with the Roman Empire which existed for over a thousand years.”

Mr. Li: “Thank you your honor, I do read history.”

Judge: “You are then aware Mr. Lee that at its height, the Roman Empire included most of Europe and parts of Africa and Asia.”

Mr. Li: “I am aware, your honor.”

Judge: “Now Mr. Lee, since the time of Alexander, the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty — through the course of time and historical events, various  independent countries have emerged in Europe, Africa and Asia — which now have their own respective territories. This is a reality which  we all have to accept, wouldn’t you say?”

Mr. Li: “We cannot deny reality, your honor.”

Judge: “Now Mr. Lee, another undeniable reality is that Alexander’s empire, the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty kingdom are no longer existent — am I correct in my observation?

Mr. Li: “You are correct, your honor.”

Judge: “Now Mr.Lee, in all candor, do you seriously believe that if the Republic of Macedonia and the Italian government were to come before this Court and petition us to affirm that they own the territories of these now independent countries because they were once a part of Alexander’s empire or the Roman empire — that we would be persuaded to grant these petitions?”

Mr. Li: “I understand what you are getting at, Judge — but most of what we are claiming as ours is marine area and not land.”

Judge: “The Spratlys and the Paracel islands are not land? Anyway, isn’t it a fact that China is a signatory to the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) which she ratified on July 6, 1996 thereby agreeing to be bound by its provisions — and part of which is that anything within 200 miles from the baseline of a country belongs to that country?

Mr. Li: “China did agree to those provisions at a time when it was not yet aware of the far reaching consequences of UNCLOS to her national interests.”

Judge: “I will not mince my words Mr. Lee. What you mean is that at that time, the world, including China, was not yet aware, that vast deposits of oil and natural gas were to be found within the territorial limits of neighboring countries. Now because of this awareness, even if China knows she is trespassing and violating international law, she is using the coercive might of her size, military or otherwise — to grab these enormous reserves of petrowealth from the territories of her smaller, weaker, poorer neighbors — who badly need these assets to improve the plight of their own people.

Postscript:  In view of all the facts and existing applicable law, the likelihood is that the UN court will find China’s petition to be without merit.

Notwithstanding requests from the Philippines, neighboring countries and the United States to bring West Philippine Sea sovereignty issues to the United Nations, China has steadfastly refused to do so. Instead, it is constantly involved in mind games, using scare tactics, insisting that everything in the whole West Philippines Sea is theirs and that this issue is non-negotiable.

By so doing, the gigantic oil hungry dragon seeks to condition the national minds of her neighbors to forcibly accept inequitable bilateral settlement agreements — without United Nations or United States involvement. The Philippines, Vietnam and other neighbor countries must not fall into this trap. They should unite and create an alliance and insist — with the aid of the global community, with military means if necessary — that China should respect their rights and leave their national patrimony alone.

The most loudly applauded part of President Benigno Simeon Aquino’s State of the Nation speech was his strong affirmation that what belongs to the Philippines stays in the Philippines. Everyone understood his meaning:  The Philippines will stand firm against China’s bully tactics and mind games in trying to grab our energy and marine resources.

What a big difference to have a trustworthy President who provides moral leadership and looks after the interests of the nation instead of one ready to sell out the country’s patrimony for personal gain.

Source:

http://globalnation.inquirer.net/7319/why-china-will-not-bring-the-spratlys-issue-to-the-united-nations

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The Royal Sultanate of Sulu & the Republic of the Philippines will reunite as 1 and United Nations for the Spratlys.

Sulu Sultanate rejects China claim over Spratlys

The Sultanate of Sulu slammed for the claim of China over the Spratly Islands, saying the disputed territory was part of the Sultanate of Sulu long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.

“China has no right over the Spratly Islands in what it calls the South China Sea because that is part of our ancestral domain, including the marine territory around it and the waters around these islands is part of the Sulu Sea,” Majaraj Julmuner Jannaral, Sultanate information officer, quoting His Majesty Muhammad Fuad Abdulla Kiram I, the reigning Sultan of Sulu and Sabah (North Borneo).

Jannaral said China has launched a “divide-and-rule” strategy over ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) members because it has refused to talk on the Spratlys issue, and instead wants to deal or negotiate with the 10 member countries individually.

“This is unacceptable to me and my people,” Jannaral quoted the Sultan as saying.

He said historically, the proprietary rights over the Spratlys, Sabah(North Borneo), the Sulu archipelago, and Palawan and parts of Mindanao belong to the Sultanate of Sulu and (North Borneo) Sabah even long before the Spaniards came to the Philippines.

“Thus, China is violating our people’s human rights by openly and unilaterally announcing ownership of the Spratlys and the waters around it,” the Sultan said in an official statement.

Jannaral, quoting the statement, said “China may have forgotten that the sovereign political right (not the proprietary right) over the disputed area was given by the Sultan’s late father, Sultan Muhammad Esmail E. Kiram I, to President Diosdado Macapagal in 1962, and later in 1969, to President Ferdinand Marcos to recover particularly Sabah (North Borneo) from Malaysia.”

“But Sabah (North Borneo) is not an issue with China. Our concern here is the Spratlys and what China calls the South China Sea, because the Chinese leaders state this is their core interest,” the statement said.

The Sultanate said that by claiming the Spratlys, China has manifested what President Aquino called “bullying” tactics on the five other claimants – Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Jannaral said the Chinese military has even timed its announcement with the open sea trial runs of its first aircraft carrier in the north-eastern China Sea this month and its formal launch next October with its current verbal exchanges with the US regarding open use of the South China Sea by international commercial shipping.

“My blood lineage dates back from the Mahjapahit and Shrivijaya empires, which extended from Sabah (North Borneo), the Sulu archipelago, Palawan, parts of Mindanao, the islands now known as the Spratlys, Palawan, and up to the Visayas and Manila,” the Sultan’s statement reads.

“The Spanish colonial forces drove my forefathers from Manila and the Visayas but never conquered the territories of the Sultan of Sulu and Sabah because they failed to subjugate us. The Spaniards illegally transferred the Philippines, the Sulu archipelago, Sabah (North Borneo), and Guam to the Americans in their 1898 Treaty of Paris without the Sultan’s consent,” it added.

According to the statement, the Sultan’s direct ancestor, Sultan Jamalul Ahlam Kiram, rented out Sabah to the British East India Company in 1878.

“After the last world war, Britain illegally transferred Sabah to Malaysia when London granted Malaysia its independence in 1963.”

Proof that Britain and Malaysia recognized the Sultan’s proprietary rights over Sabah is the yearly payment as rent, up to this day, which is paid regularly by Malaysia to the Sultan and eight other descendants of the first Sultan.

The Sultan said he agreed with President Aquino’s position that China cannot legally claim ownership of the Spratlys, which are at least 800 miles away from the nearest Chinese territory, while some of the islands are within the 200-nautical mile economic zone limits of the Philippines under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He said China’s claim violates the UNCLOS, which it signed. The Philippines is also a signatory to UNCLOS.

“President Aquino showed his quality nationalist leadership with his stand that settlement of the Spratly issue and the South China Sea - West Philippines Sea questions must be through peaceful and mutually beneficial diplomatic talks – especially to the members of the ASEAN since these islands are physically closer to us than China,” the Sultan said.

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MDT - USA obliged to defend the Philippines in Spratlys against any invasion

The hardest point of America is to stand in between the two roles in the same case and the same issue.   USA is supposed not to take one side on any countries with conflict but America have no escape for the Philippines as they signed an agreement called Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) in 1951 to take effect in 1952. The MDT was signed between US and the Philippines after 5 years of giving independence to the Philippines. The Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) obliged America to defend the Philippines to any External assault or attack to the Philippines' territory.

The binding of the MDT with PHL-US is clear that obliged America to defend the Philippines to any External assault or attack to the Philippines” even spratlys islands is not mentioned since the Spratlys is within 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone of the Philippines and countries invading the Philippine waters is subject for retaliation from the Philippines' forces and US Forces.

U.S. forces are obliged to help defend Filipino troops, ships or aircraft under a 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty if they come under attack in the disputed Spratly Islands in the South China Sea, Philippine officials said, citing past American assurances.

The potentially oil- and gas-rich Spratly Islands have long been regarded as one of Asia's possible flash points for conflict. China, the Philippines and Vietnam have been trading barbs and diplomatic protests recently over overlapping territorial claims, reigniting tension.

Complicating the issue is the role the United States could play in resolving the disputes. A Mutual Defense Treaty signed by U.S. and Philippine officials in Aug. 30, 1951, calls on each country to help defend the other against an external attack by an aggressor in their territories or in the Pacific region.

Amid renewed tensions in the Spratlys, questions have emerged whether the treaty would apply if ill-equipped Philippine forces come under attack in the islands, all of which are claimed by China. Parts also are claimed by Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs said in a policy paper that the treaty requires Washington to help defend Filipino forces if they come under attack in the Spratlys, citing U.S. diplomatic dispatches that defined the Pacific region under the treaty as including the South China Sea. The South China Sea was not specifically mentioned in the pact.

A copy of the policy paper was seen by The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario also said in a recent interview that American officials have made clear that Washington would respond in case Filipino forces come under attack in the South China Sea.

Del Rosario said by telephone from Washington that he would discuss the Spratly disputes, along with issues related to the 1951 defense treaty, and other regional security concerns with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton when they meet Thursday.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila declined to discuss details of when the pact would apply.

"As a strategic ally, the United States honors our Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines," said Alan Holst, acting public affairs officer at the embassy. "We will not engage in discussion of hypothetical scenarios."

The defense treaty, which came into force in 1952, defined an attack as an armed assault on "the metropolitan territory of the parties" or their "armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific."

While the U.S. has a policy of not interfering in territorial disputes, the Philippine paper said "it may be construed that any attack on our vessels, armed forces or aircraft in the Spratlys would make the treaty applicable and accordingly obligate the U.S. to act to meet the common dangers."

China has urged the United States to stay out of the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, saying they should be resolved through bilateral negotiations.

On Wednesday, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai warned that Washington risks getting drawn into a conflict should tensions in the region escalate further.

Washington views the sea lanes in the area as strategically important.

"If the United States does want to play a role, it may counsel restraint to those countries that have frequently been taking provocative action and ask them to be more responsible in their behavior," Cui said at a briefing.

He later added, "I believe that individual countries are actually playing with fire, and I hope that fire will not be drawn to the United States."

The Philippines has accused China of intruding at least six times in Manila-claimed areas in and near the Spratlys since February. Among the most serious was a reported firing by a Chinese navy vessel on Feb. 25 to scare away Filipino fishermen from the Jackson Atoll.

The Philippines, whose poorly equipped forces are no match for China's powerful military, has resorted to diplomatic protests. President Benigno Aquino III insisted Friday that his country won't be bullied by China and said Beijing should stop intruding into waters claimed by Manila.

The battle for ownership of the Spratlys has settled into an uneasy standoff since clashes involving China and Vietnam killed more than 70 Vietnamese sailors in 1988.

 

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USA will support the Philippines' Spratly issue but Doubtful to Filipinos

A United Nations convention is clear on what constitutes sovereign territory, and the United States is prepared to do whatever is asked of it by the Philippines in connection with the South China Sea / West Philippine Sea dispute, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. said Monday (June 13, 2011) in Makati. Thomas Statement is absolutely opposite of the statement of Rebecca Thomson; US spokesperson saying “The US will not support the Philippine Spratly Issue as they are out of the Issue. Even USA is not united of their stands for the Spratlys issue.

 “We will do whatever we’re asked,” Thomas told The STAR during a visit to the newspaper office, when asked if the US would be willing to participate in the settlement of the territorial dispute.

But he quickly added, “What we want to say is right now we believe consistently that is not something for us to do. We have not been asked to do that. And we can’t deal with hypotheticals.”

Later, when pressed about US participation in negotiations, he said, “We have not been invited.”

Thomas spoke as China warned external powers to stay out of the overlapping territorial claims in the Spratly Islands.

Reuters reported Monday (June 13, 2011) from Beijing that the warning was contained in a commentary in the main military newspaper Liberation Army Daily, which is controlled by China’s Communist Party, and where articles are vetted to reflect official thinking.

President Aquino welcomed Thomas’ statement as he noted the military power of China and its huge population.

“We don’t want any hostility to break out,” Aquino said at Malacañang, even as he reaffirmed that islands in the West Philippine Sea are within undisputed Philippine territory under an international convention.

“Perhaps the presence of our treaty partner, which is the United States of America, ensures that all of us will have freedom of navigation, will conform to international law,” Aquino added.

Earlier Monday (June 13, 2011), Thomas said the US would stand with the Philippines in all issues.

“I want to assure you – on all subjects, we in the United States are with the Philippines. The Philippines and the United States are strategic treaty allies. We are partners,” Thomas said at the launching of the US-supported National Renewable Energy Program in Makati City.

“We will continue to consult and work with each other on all issues, including the South China Sea and Spratly Islands,” Thomas said.

The Philippines has protested Chinese military activities in the West Philippine Sea, which is within the country’s territory as defined under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

The UNCLOS, Thomas said, is “pretty clear on what is Philippine territory.”

Thomas mentioned that US President Barack Obama has said Washington supports the 2002 Code of Conduct in the South China Sea under UNCLOS.

Among other things, the Code of Conduct calls for all claimants to sit together and settle the dispute, he said.

President Aquino is so thankful

President Aquino welcomed Thomas’ declaration.

“We are grateful to the (US), especially when they reiterated that we are strategic partners, we have a treaty between us,” Aquino said when asked for his reaction to Thomas’ statement in a press briefing later at Malacañang.

The President stressed the importance of adhering to international laws, specifically UNCLOS.

“What that law says is that you have exclusive economic authority or exclusive economic zone extending 200 (nautical) miles from your continental shelf,” Aquino said.

“Reed (Recto) Bank, which is the subject of incidents lately, is located 80 (nautical) miles off Palawan, the closest of our contention in the Spratlys, the closest China (has) is 576 (nautical) miles if I remember correctly - 576 is obviously greater than 200,” he added.

“Why should there be a dispute if we are conforming to international law?” Aquino asked.

“Of course, they are a superpower, more than 10 times our population, we don’t want any hostility to break out. Perhaps the presence of our treaty partner which is the United States of America ensures that all of us will have freedom of navigation, will conform to international law,” the President said.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing that the statement of the US ambassador “reaffirms even more our commitment to finding diplomatic and a peaceful resolution on the issues that we have in the West Philippine Sea.”

Valte said the statement was welcome because “everybody knows that we always have good relationship with the United States and so with other countries as well, even if we have issues with them.”

But Valte said there was no need to elaborate on the kind of assistance that the US is prepared to offer in the event of armed hostilities with China.

“We are in the process of trying to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict that we are in the middle of. So we do not want to make any statement that would be contrary to that position,” she said.

“I think with or without that clear statement, we have always been firm on our position on the issue. I don’t think anybody can doubt our resolve to have a resolution, a peaceful and diplomatic resolution on the issue,” Valte said.

“Our resolve cannot be questioned and that we will do so, we will pursue such resolution through diplomatic moves,” Valte said.

Valte said there should be no talk of military assistance yet because all claimant-countries were talking and seeking a peaceful resolution to the issue.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jianchao said on Saturday that “military means” was not an option for China.

Authorities have recorded six to seven incursions into Philippine-claimed areas by Chinese vessels and aircraft.

Drilon appeal for Peace in Spratlys

Sen. Franklin Drilon, an administration ally, called for an end to incendiary statements on the West Philippine Sea issue.

“All sides should exercise calm and avoid issuing statements because this is a very sensitive issue. We must defend our sovereignty but we must also be very careful in issuing statements,” Drilon said.

Drilon emphasized that only the Department of Foreign Affairs should be allowed to issue statements because the issue involves diplomacy and foreign relations.

Drilon also said the country’s relations with China cannot be easily set aside. He was apparently referring to a call by Albay Gov. Joey Salceda for a boycott of Chinese products.

He also stressed that the issue should be discussed multilaterally, or taken up before the International Court of Justice.

The Philippines and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he added, may take a united stand against China’s alleged bullying.

“This cannot be resolved on a bilateral or one-on-one basis. China is too big so the discussions should be multilateral, meaning the claimants in ASEAN should form a body to face China,” Drilon said.

Senate committee on foreign relations chair Loren Legarda also pushed for diplomacy in resolving the issue.

“It is to the region’s and the international community’s collective interest that the parties remain committed to exploring ways for building trust and confidence on the basis of equality and mutual respect,” Legarda said.

Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr., for his part, called for sobriety.

“Let the concerned agencies do the talking instead of (Palace) spokespersons who may not have a full grasp of West Philippine Sea, diplomacy, conflict management, and negotiations,” he said.

“When it comes to foreign policy, we should speak with one voice. We cannot compromise our foreign relations from interpretations made by spokespersons who muddle the handling of a potential conflict,” he said.

Enrile decried the apparently contradictory statements made by presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and Valte, his deputy, on the Spratlys issue.

He said that while Lacierda was quoted as saying that the country is “committed to a multilateral approach to the resolution of claims in the Spratlys,” Valte invoked the RP-US Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT).

Enrile said the agencies that should speak for the country on the issue are the DFA and the Department of National Defense.

Enrile’s father, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, Sen. Joker Arroyo and other senators have expressed doubts on whether the MDT can compel the US to help the Philippines in case of an armed confrontation with China.

Enrile said the best way to resolve the conflict would be through negotiations under the framework of the UNCLOS.

Boycott All Chinese Product

Rep. Enrile also chided Salceda for calling for a boycott of Chinese-made goods. Salceda belongs to the ruling Liberal Party.

“Why on earth are we calling for a boycott of Chinese goods? China is bigger than the Philippines in terms of consumer market, so how can we, as a neighbor, even contemplate about it?” he asked.

“As responsible elected officials, we should refrain from instigating a trade war with the third biggest buyer of Philippine exports. The saber rattling is uncalled for. Let’s put a stop to that,” Rep. Enrile said.

“We should instead focus on setting up our national coast defense system to protect our baselines and buy and patronize Filipino products so that we help our economy,” he said.

Sen. Ralph Recto also slammed Salceda for his boycott call.

“The right response is to increase our trade and investments with China and perhaps, maybe with the right growth formula, we can get even economically years from now,” he added.

He said that it would be a “big economic victory” for the Philippines if it closes its $900-million trade deficit with China.

The country imported $7 billion worth of goods from China in 2010 as against its exports of a little over $6 billion.

Recto likewise noted that as part of the emerging economies and touted by respected global bodies as among the Top 25 countries with strong economies by 2025, the Philippines should “act accordingly” and should not be “boycott happy.”

“We should not only engage China diplomatically but also through business,” Recto stressed.

“The Spratlys question should be settled peacefully. You can’t be saber rattling with China. It’s our biggest trading neighbor,” Recto said.

“An action like that (boycott call) has repercussions. They can tell all you Filipino people in China, go home. They can call for a boycott of all Filipino products. I don’t know who will lose in this one. So we should take it easy,” Sen. Enrile said.

Recto said the Armed Forces of the Philippines should beef up its arsenal and capability “not for arms race but to protect our coral reefs and fishermen.”

Recto said the AFP should start buying modern equipment and fleet.

“We should start buying some of these equipment and I don’t care if we buy them from China,” he said.

 

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The Philippines Starts - Online Protest Against China's Invasion in Spratlys of the Philippines Waters

While the Malacañang Palace Manila said that preparations are underway for the Philippines’ protest before the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Spratlys issues, the online protest headed by young Filipino Netizens is already started today June 4, 2011.

Filipinos are aware of the laws in UNLCOS and Filipinos are confident that the UNCLOS will listen in their protest as it is the law of the sea formulated by the United Nations. The 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone is stressed in the protest that china must obey the law of the United Nations.

Filipinos are fighting for their territory as it is under the Philippine water where most of the Islands of the Spratly are located.

Other group of Filipinos want to ask the government to issue an order to drive away all countries invading the island within the Philippine territory of 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone by the UNCLOS.

Online Protest stressed the message below as shown in the site http://spratly.highkot.com/

================

WE FILIPINOS AROUND THE WORLD DENOUNCED THE INVASION OF CHINA IN OUR PHILIPPINE WATERS IN THE WEST PHILIPPINE SEA. WE CALL THE UNCLOS TO ACT OF THIS CHINA’S BELLIGERENCE IN OUR COUNTRY. WE CALL THE UNCLOS TO CONDEMN CHINA’S AGGRESSION

Our Spratly Islands – ( Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), of the Republic of the Philippines is harmed by China . It is in the our West Philippine Sea, within the Philippine waters of the UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA (UNCLOS) - 200 Nautical Mile Exclusive Economic Zone of the Republic.

• We condemn the chinas’s abuse of power in Asia.

• We denounce the china’s invasion to the Philippine waters

• We criticize the china’s firing of the Filipino Fishermen in the Philippines waters

• We call the UNCLOS to CONDEMN china for their illegal excursion to the Philippine territory

• We call UNCLOS to act on china’s violation of 2002 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea

• We call the united nation to CONDEMN china’s triggering tension in the ASEAN Nation.

WE FILIPINOS AROUND THE WORLD ARE PEACE LOVING PEOPLE AND WE DENOUNCED CHINAS AGGRESSION TO OUR PHILIPPINE TERRITORY

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Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government is preparing what it can present to the UNCLOS.

“We will prepare accordingly and we hope for the best and again, we prepare for the worst,” she said. “We reiterate our commitment to resolve the dispute peacefully.”

Valte said that President Aquino has always pushed for a “diplomatic resolution of any conflict that will arise in connection with the West Philippine Sea.”

“We wish to stress that the way we are approaching these incidents is that we are fully committed to resolving it in a very diplomatic manner and a peaceful manner as well,” she said.

Malacanang has said that the new construction by China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is a “cause for concern”

The DFA had requested clarification from the Chinese Embassy on the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea. These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Amy Douglas Bank.

The Amy Douglas Bank is located southwest of Recto (Reed) Bank and east of Patag (Flat) Island and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied, according to a DFA statement.

The posts and buoy placed by the Chinese at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank, however, are about 26 nautical mile east of Patag Island and 125 nautical mile from mainland Palawan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

It will be recalled that during the dialogue between President Aquino and Chinese Defense Minister Liang in May, an agreement was forged between China and the Philippines to continue engaging in dialogue towards an amicable settlement on the disputed Spratly islands.

Both parties also agreed that the best way to solve the issue is to continue to engage into dialogue, not just between China and the Philippines, but also other countries that are claimants to the Spratlys.

 

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The Philippines' 2011 2nd protest Against china for Invading Philippines waters

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) shows the light Blue Dotted line as 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone for the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Blue dotted line includes most part of the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly) of the Philippines. UNCLOS did not show any China’s territory in the West Philippines Sea. The Philippines recorded already 6 invasion by china to the West Philippine Sea As of June 3, 2011.

Philippine Online Protest against china’s 6 Invasion to the Philippine waters leaded by Young Filipinos is launched today at http://spratly.highkot.com/ It is ahead from the formal protest to the UNCLOS which is on the process by the Philippine Government.

Malacañang Palace Manila said that preparations are underway for the Philippines’ protest before the United Nations Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Spratlys issue, stressing that it wants to resolve the matter in a diplomatic and peaceful way.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government is preparing what it can present to the UNCLOS.

“We will prepare accordingly and we hope for the best and again, we prepare for the worst,” she said. “We reiterate our commitment to resolve the dispute peacefully.”

Valte said that President Aquino has always pushed for a “diplomatic resolution of any conflict that will arise in connection with the West Philippine Sea.”

“We wish to stress that the way we are approaching these incidents is that we are fully committed to resolving it in a very diplomatic manner and a peaceful manner as well,” she said.

Malacanang has said that the new construction by China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) is a “cause for concern”

The DFA had requested clarification from the Chinese Embassy on the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of Iroquois Reef-Amy Douglas Bank in the West Philippine Sea. These ships reportedly unloaded building materials, erected an undetermined number of posts, and placed a buoy near the breaker of the Amy Douglas Bank.

The Amy Douglas Bank is located southwest of Recto (Reed) Bank and east of Patag (Flat) Island and is well within the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). There are currently no structures on the said bank and the latter is unoccupied, according to a DFA statement.

The posts and buoy placed by the Chinese at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank, however, are about 26 nautical mile east of Patag Island and 125 nautical mile from mainland Palawan.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario had said that “any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

It will be recalled that during the dialogue between President Aquino and Chinese Defense Minister Liang in May, an agreement was forged between China and the Philippines to continue engaging in dialogue towards an amicable settlement on the disputed Spratly islands.

Both parties also agreed that the best way to solve the issue is to continue to engage into dialogue, not just between China and the Philippines, but also other countries that are claimants to the Spratlys.

 

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The Philippines will file a new protest at the United Nations for China's 6 series of Invasion in the Philippine Waters

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) shows the light Blue Dotted line as 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone for the Philippines, Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia, China and Indonesia. The Blue dotted line includes most part of the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly) of the Philippines. UNCLOS did not show any territorial rights for China in the West Philippine Sea of the South China Sea which is Within the Philippine water and closer to the Kalayaan Island Group of the Philippines. The Philippines recorded already 6 invasion by china to the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines will file a new protest at the United Nations accusing China of territorial incursion, the president said Thursday in an escalation of spats over disputed West Philippine Sea of the South China Sea islands.

China's Embassy in Manila earlier denied the Philippine government's allegations its ships intruded into the Spratly Islands close to the Philippine coast to build new structures and fortify its claim in the potentially oil-rich region.

President Benigno Aquino, speaking to Filipino reporters during a visit to Brunei, said that the Philippines is planning to file a new protest at the U.N. for a series of incursions.

"There are six or seven (incursions) happening after February 25, 2011. We are completing all the necessary data and then we will present it to them (China) and then file it with the appropriate body, which is the U.N.," he said.

Aquino said he is still hoping to visit Beijing later this year, and will engage China, a key trade partner, in talks during upcoming regional summits.

The disputed Spratlys, which are believed to be atop vast oil and gas reserves, have long been feared as a potential flash point of armed conflicts in Asia. The chain of largely uninhabited islands, reefs and banks which are within 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone of the Philippines and part of the Philippine Waters are claimed by China, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, straddle some of the world's busiest commercial sea lanes.

The Philippine military has reported that a Chinese surveillance vessel and navy ships were seen unloading building materials and erecting posts in the vicinity of Iroquois Reef and Amy Douglas Bank an uninhabited undersea hill of the West Philippines Sea at  about 125 miles (230 kilometers) from south-western Palawan province. UNCLOS specified that the 200 Nautical Mile Economic Zone is part of the Philippine territory.

It is part of the Spratlys but well within the Philippines' 200-mile exclusive economic zone, the Philippine Foreign Affairs Department said.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a brief statement that "the reported 'incursion of Chinese ships' is not true." But, it acknowledged the presence there of a Chinese marine research ship "conducting normal maritime research activities in the South China Sea."

Foreign Secretary Alberto del Rosario said any new construction by China in the area "is a clear violation" of a 2002 accord that China signed with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes the Philippines. It calls for countries to exercise restraint and stop occupying new areas in the disputed waters.

Two Philippine foreign affairs officials told reporters Thursday that local authorities have monitored about six aggressive acts of China in the Spratlys that have raised worries that Beijing may be embarking to fortify its territorial claims by constructing new structures on barren offshore areas.

Those acts included the reported firing last February by a suspected Chinese naval vessel to scare away Filipino fishermen from the Jackson Atoll in a Spratlys area part of the Philippine water, said the officials, who spoke anonymously because of the sensitivity of the subject.

In March, the Philippines accused two Chinese patrol boats of harassing a Philippine oil exploration ship near Palawan. Last month, the Philippine air force reported that two unidentified foreign fighter jets had flown near a Spratly island occupied by Filipino troops but China denied sending the aircraft.

Chinese media have reported that Beijing plans to install an advanced oil rig in the West Philippine Sea of the South China Sea in July. The Philippines expressed concern and asked China's embassy last week about the exact location of the planned oil rig and said that it should not be placed in Philippine waters.

In April, China countered a previous Philippine diplomatic protest at the United Nations by saying it has indisputable sovereignty over the Spratly islands that Manila "started to invade" in the 1970s.

China's claim to the islands and nearby geographic features was detailed in a map submitted to the U.N. in 2009.

Vietnam and Malaysia have also filed protests to the United Nations against China's map. The protests are registered with the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf, which will not rule on a claim if it involves disputed territory unless there is prior consent given by all states involved in the dispute.

 

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China fired at Filipino fishermen in Jackson atoll - Province of Palawan Philippines

“Bandit influenced Muslim and Subano Groups in Mindanao Angry of China”

A soft warning to china: “There is no giant that can sore your eyes; only David could kill Goliath and the Dragon” this is the word of hope by the young Filipinos reacting after hearing the news. “Who the hell is china to harassed our fellow Filipino in our territory? Filipinos are worth dying for. We are not scared to die to protect our land. Do not dare us!” they added. Young Filipino Muslims and Subano Tribe in Mindanao reacted this news as very alarming. They said “If Bin Ladin is killed by the US Forces, we don’t need him, he just divided the Philippines. Our Land needs our care, We will group again to fight china. Muslim in Mindanao are the bravest people in the world which never defeated by the Spanish for 300 years in the Philippines and never defeated by Americans. If the Philippines is divided by belief, we will unite again. We Muslims and Subano are lumad of the land are not scared of chinese” the group added.

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Chinese Warship harassed Filipino Fishermen in Palawan Sea

Chinese harassed Filipino Fisherman in the West Philippine Sea February 25, 2011. The brazen Chinese Warship-men wants the Filipino Fishermen flee from the Philippine Waters in the West Philippine Sea of the Exclusive Philippine Economic Zone claiming the West Philippine Sea as the china’s territory.

“This is Chinese Warship 560. You are in the China territory. Leave the area immediately.”

Upon hearing this warning through a marine band radio, three Philippine boats fishing in Quirino, or Jackson atoll, a Philippine-owned islet off Palawan in the disputed Spratly Islands, scampered away.

But the Chinese warship still fired three shots at the vessels F/V Jaime DLS, F/V Mama Lydia DLS and F/V Maricris 12. The Philippine Navy later identified the Chinese warship as Dongguan, a Jianghu-V Class missile frigate.

The incident in the South China Sea happened on Feb. 25, 2011 - before March when the Philippine-commissioned seismic vessel was reportedly harassed in Reed Bank in western Palawan and before the Chinese vessels laid steel posts and a buoy in May in the Amy Douglas (Iroquois) Bank southwest of Reed Bank which Manila said is within its 200-mile exclusive economic zone.

Yet while the Philippine government protested the March and May incidents, one by note verbale another verbally, it did no such thing about the February incident.

Jackson atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that has closely spaced islands on it encircling a lagoon. It is a rich fishing ground within Palawan’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone and belongs to the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) which under Philippine law is part of the country’s regime of islands.

A military report seen by VERA Files said that on Feb. 25, 2011 while anchored at Jackson atoll, the three Philippine fishing boats were approached by the Chinese warship, which introduced itself through a marine band radio and demanded that the Filipino fishermen leave at once.

F/V Maricris 12, however, experienced trouble removing its anchor, and its captain, Russel De la Cruz, pleaded with the Chinese warship, also through a marine band radio to “please wait for a while.”

“However, the Chinese warship repeatedly answered, ‘I will shoot you.’ Then, De la Cruz heard three consecutive gunshots and saw the projectiles hit the surface of the water 0.3 nautical miles away from the position of F/V Maricris,” the military report said.

F/V Maricris 12 had to cut its anchor lines in order to flee from what it sensed was imminent danger.

The gunshots were also heard by F/V Jaime DLS, which reported the incident by radio to the Philippine Navy detachment on Lawak Island which, in turn, relayed it to the Naval Station on Pag-Asa island until it reached the Naval Forces West headquarters in Palawan.

The three beleaguered fishing vessels proceeded to the Philippine-occupied Lawak where they sought refuge for two days. The Chinese warship was later sighted southeast of Lawak toward Patag Island, also held by the Philippines.

According to the military report, when F/V Maricris 12 returned to Jackson atoll on Feb. 28 to retrieve its anchor, it sighted three Chinese fishing vessels colored blue, red and green, exploiting the marine resources in the area.

The oil-rich Spratlys chain in the West Philippine Sea of the South China Sea which is being claimed in part by the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei and wholly by China, Taiwan and Vietnam. Of the more or less 160 islands, Vietnam occuppies 25 islands; China, 12; the Philippines, nine; Malaysia, five, and Taiwan, one. Brunei does not occupy a single geographical feature but has established a fishing zone that overlaps a southern reef.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin expressed alarm at the increasing Chinese incursions in the hotly contested Spratly Islands.

“Dumami yung intrusions. Ibig sabihin e, yung mga areas nasa lugar natin na wala tayong mga gwardya ay doon ang nilalagyan nila. In other words, gusto nila magtanim ng mga bandera nila sa ganun masabi nila sa kanila yung area (The incursions are rising. This means they are positioning themselves in areas that are ours but are unguarded. In other words, they want to plant flags to claim these places),” Gazmin said in a briefing Wednesday.

Besides the recent incidents at Jackson atoll, Reed Bank and Amy Douglas Bank, a Chinese marine vessel with a flat bed was sighted in Abad Santos or Bombay shoal on May 6, and the Chinese Marine Surveillance ship 75 and Salvage/research Ship 707 were spotted steaming toward Southern Bank on May 21, 2011.

Armed Forces Chief Eduardo Oban said the military will maintain the level of force in the disputed islands, but will also increase the operational tempo of its routine patrols and reconnaissance flights within the country’s territorial boundaries.

On Tuesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs summoned the charge d’affaires of the Chinese Embassy in Manila to seek clarification on the recent sightings of a China Marine Surveillance (CMS) vessel and other People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships at the vicinity of the Amy Douglas Bank.

The Philippine Navy, through the fishermen, had recovered steel posts with Chinese markings that were put up in the area, according to Oban.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario said, “Any new construction by China in the vicinity of the uninhabited Amy Douglas Bank is a clear violation of the 2002 ASEAN-China Declaration on the Conduct of Parties (DOC) in the South China Sea.”

The Chinese vessels were first sighted by fishermen on May 24, 2011 and reported to the Philippine Navy the following day.

After receiving the report on May 26, the Navy headquarters in Manila ordered a ship deployed to the area to verify the sighting. Bad weather, however, hampered the immediate deployment of the ship to Amy Douglas.

By May 29, 2011 the Chinese vessels were no longer in the area, the posts had been dismantled and turned over to the Navy, and the buoy was no longer there.

The AFP intelligence department briefed Gazmin and Oban on the developments in the KIG on Monday and later Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario.

On Tuesday, the Chinese embassy official was summoned to the Department of Foreign Affairs. The Cabinet’s National Security Cluster met at the Villamor Airbase regarding the incident shortly before the President left for a state visit in Brunei, and a statement was subsequently issued by the DFA.

The DFA, however, did not hand the Chinese embassy a note verbale when it summoned the charge d’affaires on Tuesday.

This was unlike the diplomatic protest it issued in March when Chinese boats ordered a Philippine seismic vessel in Reed Bank to leave, and even maneuvered close to the Philippine vessel at least twice, apparently to show they would ram it.

The diplomatic protest seen by VERA Files raised four points to prove that Reed Bank is not part of the disputed area by projecting 85 nautical miles from the basepoint in the northern part of Palawan and not from the KIG. China questioned this during meetings with the Philippines, but did not reply in a diplomatic note.

The military acknowledged its lack of capability to confront foreign enemies, but said it is ready to defend the country. But it said it prefers diplomatic means as the first option in dealing with the South China Sea dispute.

“The option open to us is first the diplomatic protest. We are in no position to confront the forces that are intruding in our territory simply because we don't have the capability,” Gazmin said.

He said the Chinese intrude into the disputed areas by initially setting up posts and then laying buoys to claim an area. The posts eventually become a lighthouse.

“Once this becomes a lighthouse these are boundaries of territories. So once that is established they can always claim that is theirs,” the defense secretary said. “That is why it is our responsibility to make sure that this doesn't happen now and in the future.”

He said the military is upgrading the capability of its maritime assets in the area to better guard the islands. “Hand-in-hand with this is the organization of our fishermen who provide us the necessary information and documentation needed to file a formal diplomatic protest,” Gazmin said.

 

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