PH won’t drop claim to Panatag: Esperon

From Malaya Business Insight (Nov 1): PH won’t drop claim to Panatag: Esperon

NATIONAL Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. yesterday said the Duterte administration will continue to assert the Philippines’ claim to the disputed Scarborough Shoal in spite of China’s move of allowing Filipino fishermen resume fishing activities at the shoal.

“Yes of course. Maybe not now, but when we go to another round of talks, we will again assert it,” Esperon said of the Philippine claim over the shoal, locally known as Panatag Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, which is about 124 nautical miles from Iba, Zambales.

Esperon said the shoal is now back to being a traditional fishing ground for Filipino and Chinese fishermen, which is in keeping with the ruling last July of a United Nations arbitral court that declared the shoal as such.

“We have a historical right and it’s part of our territory… that’s within our 200-mile EEZ (exclusive economic zone) because it’s just 124 miles away (from Zambales),” he said.

Esperon said President Duterte and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, briefly talked about the Scarborough Shoal during the President’s state visit to China from October 18-21 “but there was no conclusion to it because the position of China is that it has historical rights over it.”

“The President reiterated that we won in court. The other leader also reiterated that it’s (Scarborough Shoal) historically their territory so it was not resolved,” Esperon said.

Esperon said Duterte is confident the Chinese would no longer harass Filipino fishermen going to Panatag.

“What remains there are Coast Guard vessels of China, no (Chinese) Navy ships, and our fishermen are not being accosted. They’re not being driven away, meaning there’s friendly (co-existence),” said Esperon.

Latest aerial reconnaissance conducted by the Navy showed four Chinese Coast Guard vessels are still guarding the area, maintaining the usual presence since China seized control of the shoal in 2012 after a standoff with Philippine vessels. However, Filipinos are now fishing in the area “unmolested,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said last Sunday. Lorenzana also said the development was a welcome event, noting the Chinese vessels have been harassing Filipino fishermen going to the area for the past four years.

In the July decision, the UN arbitral court did not rule on the territorial dispute over Scarborough. However, it declared that the shoal is a traditional fishing ground, meaning fishermen from both countries can fish there. China has refused to recognize the arbitral court.

“As of now, we’re back to our traditional fishing ground… So in effect, they (Chinese) recognized that it’s a traditional fishing ground. That is what’s prevailing there, a traditional fishing ground,” said Esperon.

Esperon said Duterte’s visit to China may have contributed to the situation in Scarborough Shoal, although he stressed “there was no expressed agreement (over the shoal).”

“But it seems like the traditional rights of our fishermen are being respected (by Chinese),” said Esperon, a former Armed Forces chief, adding the prevailing situation at the Scarborough Shoal is a “win-win” for both sides.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/business-news/news/ph-won%E2%80%99t-drop-claim-panatag-esperon