DFA: PHL govt studying redeployment of ships to disputed Panatag Shoal

Citing possible threats from an incoming storm, the Philippine government on Tuesday said it is still studying whether to redeploy its ships to the disputed Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.   Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesman Raul Hernandez said on Tuesday that while typhoon "Butchoy" (Guchol) has left the country, tropical storm "Talim" has been forecast to enter Philippine territory on Wednesday.   "Ang dahilan talaga ng pullout was masamang panahon sa lugar. Nalaman natin ... tomorrow darating ang bagong bagyo si 'Talim' sa West Philippine Sea. So titingnan kung ligtas pumunta roon ang ating barko sa West Philippine Sea or Bajo de Masinloc," Hernandez said in an interview on dzBB radio.   The Philippines refers to the disputed area as Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc. China refers to the area as Huangyan Island.   Both the Philippines and China have been locked in a standoff at the shoal since April, after Philippine forces spotted Chinese fishermen gathering marine species from the area.   However, Philippine forces were blocked by Chinese vessels from making arrests.   For now Hernandez said the Philippines continues to pin its hopes on international law.   He said the Philippines remains ready to bring the case before the dispute settlement mechanism of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, even if China does not want to be a party to it.   "Yan yata sa dispute mechanism ng UNCLOS, may provisions na pwede ito idulog kahit walang presensya ng isang panig. Yan pinagaaralan ngayon at magawan ito para magawan ng matibay at pangmatagalang solusyon sa Bajo de Masinloc at West Philippine Sea," he said. - VVP, GMA News