The Commission on Human Rights lauds the Philippine Coast Guard for its installation of five navigational buoys near four Philippine-held detachments in the Kalayaan Island Group (Spratly Islands) in the West Philippine Sea to ensure safer navigation of ships and assert the country’s sovereignty in the disputed waters.
The five navigational buoys bearing the Philippine flag were planted near Lawak (Lawak (Nanshan) Island, Likas (West York) Island, Parola (Northeast Cay) Island, and Pag-asa (Thitu) Island.
Citing a ruling of the Supreme Court: “Although the Philippines has consistently claimed sovereignty over the [disputed territories] for over several decades, these outlying areas are located at an appreciable distance from the nearest shoreline of the Philippine archipelago.”
China, on its part, continues to claim sovereignty over the said territory.
The Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), however, in a unanimous, 501-page Award and the eleven-page press release declared the Philippines had sovereign rights over the Panganiban or Mischeef Reef, Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal, and Recto or Reed Bank of Palawan. These were awarded to the Philippines because they form part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone and continental reef. While, regarding China’s claims, the PCA ruled that China has no historic rights to resources in the South China Sea and that such right was extinguished to the extent they were incompatible with the exclusive economic zones provided for in the UNCLOS. China has no legal basis to claim over the “nine-dash line” historic claim.
The CHR lauds the efforts of the Philippine Coast Guard for asserting the sovereignty of the Philippines over the disputed territories where China has constructed artificial islands and interfered with Filipino fishing activities.
No State should deprive our Filipino fisherfolk from carrying out their livelihood in our national territories. The installation of navigational buoys is a notice to the rest of the international community that the Philippines is asserting sovereignty over the Kalayaan Island Group.