PCG REMOVES FLOATING BARRIER AT SCARBOROUGH SHOAL

DIVERS of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) removed the floating barriers installed by the China Coast Guard in the southeast entrance of Scarborough Shoal also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

According to the PCG, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea chair Secretary Eduardo Año ordered the removal of the barrier.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said the barrier is a clear violation of the international law and posed a hazard to navigation.

“It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in Bajo de Masinloc, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory,” Tarriela said.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the installation of floating barrier at Scarborough Shoal is an infringement of Philippine sovereignty.

Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction, according to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that Bajo de Masinloc is a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen.