00:00China helped the United Nations in its full commitment to Bajo de Macinloc,
00:07which is inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
00:11But an expert said that it has no effect on the legitimate legal interest and position of the Philippines
00:19in the rich ocean in Bajura, pointed out by Chino Gaston.
00:25The Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Macinloc is the third coral reef formation in the West Philippine Sea
00:32inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
00:35But it is now controlled by China.
00:38A month ago, China declared that the rich ocean around Bajo de Macinloc is part of their territorial sea.
00:45And yesterday, China helped the United Nations.
00:49The Chinese government issued their Statement on the Baselines of the Territorial Sea,
00:54which includes a chart showing the Huangyan Dao.
00:58China's call for Bajo de Macinloc is part of their territorial waters,
01:03according to the Chinese news agency Xinhua.
01:06Under Article 84 of the UNCLOS,
01:09a country is obligated to publish charts showing the limits of their continental shelf.
01:16In an earlier statement, the National Maritime Council of the Philippines called for
01:21the longstanding recognition of the sovereignty of the Philippines in Bajo de Macinloc
01:25by what China is doing.
01:27According to the NMC, China's declaration that Bajo de Macinloc is part of their territorial baseline
01:33is just a continuation of China's illegal involvement in Bajura in 2012.
01:38For Professor Jay Batong-Bacal,
01:40Director of the University of the Philippines Diliman Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea,
01:45China's deposit has no effect on the legitimate legal interest and position of the Philippines in Bajo de Macinloc,
01:53even in the maritime jurisdictions in the West Philippine Sea.
01:57Under Article 134 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS,
02:03no filing of the chart or declaration of territory in the sea
02:08or rights that are granted to coastal states under the UNCLOS is affected.
02:13Under Article 76, the Philippines is the coastal state that has a right to the continental shelf
02:18where Bajo de Macinloc can be found.
02:21Meanwhile, four fishermen from Bajo de Macinloc have been missing for a week.
02:27They sailed in their service boat on November 27.
02:30The captain of the ship, FB Ryan Chris, Renato Silistra,
02:35was stopped by the Chinese Coast Guard 3305 while sailing in Bajo de Macinloc.
02:40The family of the missing people continues to call for help.
02:56For GMA Integrated News, Sino Gasto na Katutok, 24 hours.
03:05.
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