Manila: A think tank has called on the government to remain firm in asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty over the Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal), amid China’s latest aggressive acts, which resulted in the collision of its ships.
According to Philippines News Agency, Stratbase ADR Institute president Victor Andres “Dindo” Manhit urged the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to “stand firm in asserting our sovereign rights and ensuring the safety of our fisherfolk, military, and Coast Guard personnel in our waters.”
The think tank likewise denounced the illegal and aggressive actions in Bajo de Masinloc, a Philippine territory, as affirmed by the 2016 Arbitral Award. Manhit stated that China’s disregard for binding legal instruments “is a direct affront to the international system and undermines the very principles that ensure peace, stability, and safety at sea.”
“This latest incident is a stark reminder of the urgent need to uphold international law and defend the rules-based order against those who deliberately and repeatedly violate it. The Stratbase Institute stressed the primacy of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” he emphasized.
Manhit called for deepened cooperation with like-minded partners to deter aggression and uphold a free, open, rules-based Indo-Pacific. “With international law on our side, the Marcos Jr. administration must stand firm in its commitment not to surrender ‘a single square inch of our territory’ and strengthen cooperation with like-minded partners to deter further acts of aggression and promote a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific,” he emphasized.
On Aug. 11, two Chinese vessels collided while attempting to chase the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) that was performing routine humanitarian operations for Filipino fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc. The PCG ship was accompanying a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel to Bajo de Masinloc to distribute aid to local fisherfolk when it was chased by the China People’s Liberation Army Navy ship 164 and China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3104. BRP Suluan was able to evade the pursuing Chinese vessels, which eventually collided with one another.
