Manila: The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Thursday rebuked and rejected anew China's claims over the Spratlys, including the Sandy Cay or Pag-asa Cay 2 in the nearby Pag-asa Island.
According to Philippines News Agency, the statement comes after the Chinese Embassy in Manila on May 26 justified the recent water cannoning of two Filipino civilian vessels near the Sandy Cay, saying the feature 'has always been China's territory.'
Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza urged China to respect the country's sovereignty and jurisdiction, stating that Pag-asa Island and the surrounding cays are part of the Philippines. She emphasized that Pag-asa Island and the Pag-asa Cays are integral parts of the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), over which the Philippines has longstanding sovereignty and jurisdiction.
Daza further explained that the Philippines is within its rights to conduct routine maritime operations and scientific research in and around these features and will continue to do so. She stated that the actions of Philippine authorities in the area are a valid exercise of Manila's sovereignty and consistent with international law, particularly the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, and the 2002 Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC).
Daza asserted that China has no right to object or interfere with these lawful and routine activities. Despite the tensions, she noted that the Philippines remains committed to seeking peaceful and legal means to manage differences and the situation at sea.
On May 21, two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels - BRP Datu Sanday and BRP Datu Pagbuaya - were conducting a routine marine scientific research mission near Sandy Cay when they were shadowed, blocked, hit by water cannons, and sideswiped by CCG vessel 21559. The National Maritime Council described these actions as "unlawful interference" by China, occurring within the territorial sea of the Philippines in the area of Pag-asa Island and Pag-asa Cay 2.
