After China claimed that it has overlapping rights within the Philippinesโ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ง๐จ๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ (๐๐๐), Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea ๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ซ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐ข๐๐ฅ๐ responded in a Facebook post, stressing that all nations are entitled to freedom of navigation in the South China Sea without needing permission from any state.
He emphasized that freedom of navigation itself is not the issue at the center of the conflict. He argued that Chinaโs activities within the Philippinesโ EEZ should not be viewed as legitimate freedom of navigation, but rather as unlawful patrol operations inconsistent with the ๐๐ง๐ข๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ฏ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ (๐๐๐๐๐๐).
