Marcos on calling out Bajo de Masinloc ‘nature reserve’: I just laid out the facts

As far as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is concerned, he just “laid out the facts” when he called out China’s plan to establish a nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc before foreign leaders at the recently-concluded Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits in Malaysia.

In his “Kapihan” press briefing with Filipino reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, Marcos was asked about his “strong” remarks the day before – that the planned nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc would violate the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction, and the fishing rights of Filipino fisherfolk.

“I would disagree. I did not make a strong statement. I just laid out the facts. And that is what we do,” the President said.

“I try always to just explain to everyone what is happening and that this is the situation of the Philippines. Never mind anyone else. This is the situation the Philippines finds itself in. Ito ‘yung nangyayari sa amin. Kaya sana matulungan ninyo kami (This is what is happening to us, so I hope you can help us),” he added.

Marcos criticized the planned nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc – which is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone – several times during the ASEAN Summits and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur.

He first called out the plan without mentioning China in the 13th ASEAN-US Summit on Monday as a violation of international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

“Moreover, the attempt of some actors to establish the so-called ‘nature reserve’ status over Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, which is a longstanding and integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and jurisdiction, clearly violates not only Philippine sovereignty, but also the traditional fishing rights of our people guaranteed by international law, including the 1982 UNCLOS, and affirmed by the final and binding 2016 Award on the South China Sea Arbitration and relevant domestic laws,” the President said.

China first announced its plan to establish a nature reserve in Bajo de Masinloc in September.

Bajo de Masinloc is 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales and is a traditional fishing ground. The Department of Foreign Affairs filed a diplomatic protest against China’s plan shortly after.

Marcos mentioned the Bajo de Masinloc issue several times during the ASEAN Summits – at the 20th East Asia Summit on Monday and the 5th ASEAN-Australia Summit and the 28th ASEAN-China Summit on Tuesday.

Asked on how Chinese Premier Li Qiang reacted to his statement, Marcos said the Chinese Premier asserted that “this is, as far as China is concerned, is within their local law and international law.”

“Of course, we dispute that, but that’s essentially how that diplomatic process works,” the President said. — JMA, GMA Integrated News