Roque: China boats will leave Philippine reef for friendship

Malacañang expects the Chinese vessels deployed in the Philippines' Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea to eventually leave the area given the friendship between the two countries, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Thursday.

According to him, President Rodrigo Duterte already personally raised the concern to China’s envoy to the Philippines, and that the chief executive has been assured that the Chinese vessels are only seeking temporary refuge due to “bad weather.”

“Wala pong kontrobersiya dahil hindi naman nila [China] ipinaglalaban na mananatili sila roon” (There is no controversy over the vessels because China is not fighting for unlimited time to stay there), Roque said.

“In the spirit of friendship, inaasahan na hindi sila mananatili roon”(we expect them to leave), he added.

On the other hand, the Chinese "bad weather" excuse has been disputed by the National Task Force for West Philippine Sea, which reported that the vessels were in the area despite the good weather.

But Roque said that President Duterte has always stood for protecting Philippine territory, including the Julian Felipe Reef, through peaceful means.

“The President said this before the United Nations: We will protect our territory, we stand by the UN Arbitral Ruling, and we will resolve this by peaceful means under UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Seas),” Roque pointed out.

“Hindi nagbabago ang posisyon ni Presidente” (the President's position has not changed), he reiterated.

Roque was referring to the July 2016 UN Court ruling invalidating China’s nine-dash line marking Beijing's claim over South China Sea nearly in its entirety.

The same UN court decision upheld the Philippines’ 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone (EEZ), and that the Spratlys' Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines' EEZ.  —LBG, GMA News