The Philippine Navy on Saturday refuted China’s claim that it had conducted combat readiness patrols in Scarborough Shoal, also known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc (BdM).
Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said they have not monitored such activities around BdM and the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone within WPS.
Trinidad reported that as of Saturday morning, sighted at the Scarborough Shoal were two CCG (China Coast Guard) ships, six maritime militia vessels, four fishing boats from Vietnam and three other vessels from Taiwan.
Reuters reported citing Xinhua news agency that China’s Southern Theatre navy conducted combat readiness patrols on Saturday around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea.
China’s navy has continuously intensified patrols and surveillance in the surrounding waters and airspace in the area, further strengthening control over the relevant maritime and aerial domains, according to Xinhua.
“No activity of PLA-N (People’s Liberation Army Navy) was monitored. News like these are all part of information shaping operations by the (Chinese) Communist Party to address any internal dissent or shape the international discourse to their favor,” Trinidad added.
Scarborough Shoal, which is also being claimed by the Philippines, is a triangular coral reef formation which surrounds a lagoon, is famed for its rich waters and marine resources.
Also known as Panatag Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Last month, the Philippines asserted its sovereignty in the area after China called out Manila for its alleged illegal intrusion into Scarborough Shoal.
“These are all part of shaping or malign info operations more likely for their internal audience,” Trinidad said.
“Only the Philippine Navy and other Philippine flagged law enforcement ships have the authority and legal bases to challenge any ship within maritime zones,” he added.
Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.
The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
