MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense (DND) rejected China’s demand for the Philippines to abandon its initiatives and position on Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal) saying it will continue to assert rights over the disputed waters.
Asec. Arsenio Andolong,DND spokesperson, said in a statement on Saturday boldly dismissed Beijing’s “patently false characterizations of lawful Philippine actions within Philippine territory and maritime areas.
“The Department of National Defense rejects the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s call to abandon the Philippines’ initiatives and position regarding Bajo de Masinloc (BDM) and its patently false characterizations of lawful Philippine actions within Philippine territory and maritime areas, " Andolong said in a statement.
The DND stood firm that Bajo de Masinloc is an “integral and longstanding part of the Philippine national territory, and its maritime zones and entitlements, as established by the Philippines, are strictly in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award.”
According to the DND, the Philippines' submission of Bajo de Masinloc’s updated nautical chart to the United Nations “provides the necessary legal clarity and due publicity to the international community on the geographical limits of Bajo de Masinloc.”
“The Philippines will continue the lawful exercise of its sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc. We will not be deterred by China’s false narratives and hooliganism, as evidenced by its continued aggressive activities and attempts to distort history and the rules-based international order,” Andolong said.
