00:00It's time for the Philippines to sign a new arbitration case
00:04regarding the West Philippine Sea.
00:06That's according to the retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.
00:10The China Coast Guard has seen two of the biggest ships of the Philippine Coast Guard.
00:18Witness, Chino Gaston.
00:24In spite of the water cannon, this rubber boat is still floating.
00:28But this is not a new incident of harassment in the West Philippine Sea,
00:32but a part of the practice of the Philippine Coast Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard
00:36near Lubang Island in Occidental Mindoro.
00:43Search and Rescue and Medical Evacuation is the main focus of the practice
00:48where the U.S. CG Cutter Waysh is located
00:52and one of the biggest ships of the PCG, BRT Melchorra Aquino.
00:57While the practice is being carried out,
00:59the China Coast Guard Vessel 5303 approached 15 nautical miles to dock.
01:04In the last monitoring of the PCG, it left towards the direction of Palawan.
01:09It was reported that it came close to Lubang Island at a distance of 16 nautical miles.
01:17So that is also true in response to the incursive presence of the Chinese Coast Guard in Lubang Island.
01:26The commandant of the Philippine Coast Guard, Admiral Ron Gilgaban,
01:29has also deployed the BRT Melchorra Aquino.
01:34We show the flag by deploying our vessel and then at the same time,
01:39see to it that they are going to depart.
01:42BRT Melchorra Aquino is 97 meters long.
01:45BRT Teresa Magbanwa was docked in Sabina or Escoda Shoal for several months.
01:51Earlier this morning, BRT Teresa Magbanwa was at a distance of 600 meters from the China Coast Guard's monster ship.
01:58So I would like to confirm that as of 7.30 in the morning,
02:03the last image that I got from our Coast Guard personnel from 9701,
02:09the China Coast Guard monster ship remains to be inside the Escoda Shoal.
02:14It never departed and is still anchored there.
02:17We also periodically challenge them over the radio,
02:22calling them out and telling them that they are within our exclusive economic zone
02:27and that they have to tell us what is their intention.
02:32China has long said that their ship is still anchored in Escoda
02:36because the Philippines' outpost is being built there.
02:40According to retired Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio,
02:44it is time for a new arbitration to be held against UNCLOS
02:48after China opposed the Philippines' request for an extended continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea.
02:55Joint patrols are one of the strongest enforcement measures of the arbitral award.
03:06They are telling China, we can conduct these naval drills, aerial drills,
03:12because these waters constitute the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines
03:18in accordance with the arbitral award.
03:20In the exclusive economic zone under UNCLOS, that is the strongest enforcement so far.
03:26Eight years since the arbitral award was issued in 2016,
03:30China still does not recognize it.
03:32One of the ways to strengthen it is the Philippine Maritime Zones Bill
03:38which was just signed by the President.
03:41It will establish the limits of the Philippine Maritime Zones
03:45and the rights of the country within it.
03:48We included it in the Palawan, we included it in the Philippine Rise.
03:52Our rights are clear, where is our boundary,
03:56it is clear that we have a law where we can sail, we can fish.
04:02With that act, we're also now laying the groundwork for improving our law enforcement
04:11within these maritime zones.
04:13Before, China was pushing the so-called arbitral award
04:16because it is included in the agreement between Panatagshol and Spratlys.
04:21According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry,
04:23they support a direct negotiation between China and the Philippines.
04:28It is included in the aforementioned arrangement
04:31on improving Philippines-China Maritime Communication Mechanisms
04:35that our Department of Foreign Affairs has signed.
04:38It will provide guidance in various ways
04:40so that the two countries can negotiate when it comes to maritime issues.
04:44It can be through the so-called leadership of their leaders,
04:49through the DFA and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China,
04:53up to the level of the Foreign Minister and Vice Foreign Minister,
04:56and through their Coast Guard.
04:59The DFA is coordinating with China for its guidelines.
05:03For GMA Integrated News, who do you want to witness?
05:08Kapuso, let's be witnesses together.
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05:26GMA Integrated News
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