MANILA, Philippines — The Makabayan bloc is urging the House of Representatives to condemn and investigate the presence of 220 Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
“The position and deployment of the Chinese vessels may lead to another level of disrespect to Philippine sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea, as well as heightened aggression,” the six lawmakers warned in House Resolution No. 1675.
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The progressive lawmakers in the House fear that the presence of Chinese vessels in Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, may eventually result in Beijing establishing a military base there, as it has done in seven reefs Manila claims.
READ: Makabayan bloc urges House to condemn and probe the presence of 200 Chinese vessels at Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef in the West Philippine Sea @PhilstarNews pic.twitter.com/9X3m0oQqIE
— Xave Gregorio (@XaveGregorio) March 25, 2021
The reef is located northeast of Pagkakaisa Banks and Reefs about 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan.
The lawmakers also scored the “passive stance” of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte on the 2016 ruling by a Hague-based tribunal which voided China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. Beijing continues to reject this ruling.
“The failure of the Duterte administration to protect the country’s territorial integrity resulted in the loss of livelihood of many Filipino fisherfolk,” the leftist lawmakers said. “With the continuing harassment by the China Coast Guard and the Chinese deployment of maritime militias, Filipinos were deprived of the natural resources in its own territory.”
The Philippines has demanded that Chinese vessels withdraw from Julian Felipe Reef and has lodged a diplomatic protest over the presence of the ships, which Manila’s security forces said are part of Beijing’s maritime militia.
China has denied the presence of maritime militia in the reef, which it calls Niu’e Jiao, but did admit that the ships were there to take shelter from rough sea conditions. It also asserted that the vessels are in its territory.