Since yesterday and continuing until now, the China Coast Guard vessel 5303 has persistently engaged in provocative actions and illegal monitoring of our ongoing hydrographic survey, which is situated 110.46 nautical miles northwest off Bolinao, Pangasinan. Although they have not directly obstructed or interfered with our survey activities, this relentless behavior serves as undeniable evidence that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is unhesitant in deploying its vessels within our Exclusive Economic Zone to intimidate and impede our legitimate operations, specifically in the field of marine scientific research.
This blatant disregard for our jurisdiction and sovereign rights directly refutes the false narratives that are being propagated by Pro-China trolls. These individuals falsely claim that our actions are intended to provoke China or that we deliberately seek to present ourselves as oppressed. Per the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea’s (UNCLOS) Part XIII, the Philippines has the exclusive right to regulate, authorize, and conduct marine scientific research in its own EEZ and Continental Shelf. It is crucial to emphasize that our ongoing hydrographic survey in the northern region fully aligns with this provision. As a nation, we have every right to conduct this survey without facing impediments from any other states.
Furthermore, it is noteworthy that despite the provocative presence of the China Coast Guard vessel, we have chosen not to respond with violence or aggression. Nevertheless, the government remains committed to advancing the rule of law in the West Philippine Sea and peace in the broader Indo-Pacific Region. The Philippines will not yield!
