The Philippines has not sent patrol ships to the Quirino Atoll in two years, a coast guard official said Sunday.
"Ang pilosopiya ng gobyerno ay walang patrol sa area dahil sa ifinile natin sa The Hague," Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson, Lt. Commander Armand Balilo, told radio dzBB in an interview.
Balilo was referring to the case filed by the Philippines in an arbitration court in the Hague on its territorial disputes with China.
The spokesperson said that the government's order to the PCG was "not to do anything that will jeopardize our position sa international tribunal."
"So lahat ng barko, pati sa Bajo de Masinloc ay pinull out namin. So dalawang taon nang walang nagpa-patrol sa area," Balilo added.
Chinese ships have been staying in Bajo de Masinloc, also called Panatag Shoal off Zambales province, since the Philippines pulled out its ships in 2012.
Balilo said that despite their limited capability, the PCG is willing to return and patrol Philippine-claimed territories in the disputed seas if they will be ordered by the government.
A report by the Philippine Star said that China may have been taken control of the Quirino Atoll due to sightings of Chinese ships.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said the reports of China's permanent presence in the area was "inaccurate."
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/557993/news/nation/pcg-told-to-stop-patrolling-quirino-atoll
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.