Philippine Coast Guard’s BRP Teresa Magbanua |PHOTO COURTESY OF PCG
MANILA, Philippines — BRP Teresa Magbanua’s return from Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea is “not a withdrawal,” said the National Maritime Council (NMC) on Monday.
“No, it’s not a withdrawal,” NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez said in a chance interview with Palace reporters.
“We did not withdraw and hindi rin ito ‘yung naging kasunduan during the last BCM (bilateral consultation mechanism), baka akala kasi ng ating mga kababayan bumigay tayo, in fact, hindi. Nagmatigas tayo during the meeting in Beijing and our DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) stated that our presence will be maintained at the shoal, so it’s not a withdrawal,” he added.
(We did not withdraw and this was not the agreement during the last BCM, people might think we gave in, but in fact, we didn’t. We stood our ground during the meeting in Beijing and our DFA stated that our presence will be maintained at the shoal, so it’s not a withdrawal.)
READ: West PH Sea: BRP Teresa Magbanua arrives in Palawan with sick crew
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Lopez cited that the “primordial reason” why BRP Teresa Magbanua was pulled out from Escoda Shoal was for “humanitarian” purposes.
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“During the coverage ng pagdating ng barko, ilan iyong naka dextrose, dalawa pa sa stretcher. So they needed immediate medical attention,” he said.
(During the coverage of the ship’s arrival, some were on dextrose, two others were on stretchers. So they needed immediate medical attention.)
READ: West PH Sea: Many Chinese ships exit Sabina after BRP Teresa Magbanua withdrawal
Lopez also said that the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is already in the process of sending a replacement for the pulled out vessel.
“We will have our presence still in Escoda, not necessarily Magbanua kasi magkakarepairs pa eh (because there will still be repairs). So we will let the PCG address that operational issue,” he explained.
The NMC serves as the government’s policy-making body when it comes to the country’s maritime security and domain awareness, including the country’s ongoing territorial dispute with China in the West Philippine Sea.
It was in April when Manila deployed the BRP Teresa Magbanua to prevent Beijing from reclaiming Sabina Shoal, but pulled it out over the weekend, with the vessel arriving in Palawan on Sunday.
READ: West PH Sea: PCG to deploy ships at Escoda amid BRP Teresa Magbanua exit
The Philippines and China have long been embroiled in a dispute after China, using its so-called 10-dash line, claimed ownership of most of the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which lies well within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
However, China’s claims were effectively invalidated by a July 2016 international tribunal ruling, which stemmed from a case filed by Manila in 2013.
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Despite this, China has continued to deliberately ignore the ruling, consistently encroaching on the Philippines’ EEZ.
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