Aquino asks China to pull out ships from Scarborough - DFA chief

From InterAksyon (Nov 21): Aquino asks China to pull out ships from Scarborough - DFA chief

President Benigno Aquino III has asked China to pull out its three ships from Scarborough Shoal, Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Albert del Rosario told reporters Wednesday. Asked if the President explicitly asked this of China, Del Rosario said: “In accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea) and the DOC (Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea), the President called on all parties to respect the EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone) and the continental shelf of all coastal states irrespective of their size or naval power. “That said, the President called on our northern neighbor to respect our EEZ and withdraw their vessels which remain in Bajo de Masinloc.” Earlier, the DFA chief said three Chinese government vessels remained in the rock formations that form part of the territory of Masinloc town in Zambales. Diplomatic relations between China and the Philippines have soured since April this year when Chinese fishing boats were spotted harvesting endangered maritime species inside the lagoon of the shoal. The Philippines tried to apprehend the fishermen for violating Philippine fisheries and environmental laws but was prevented by Chinese maritime ships, resulting in a standoff. The Philippine ships - initially its first warship and later a Coast Guard and fisheries vessels – eventually pulled out of the shoal. But the Chinese ships stayed.

http://www.interaksyon.com/article/48587/aquino-asks-china-to-pull-out-ships-from-scarborough---dfa-chief