Jonathan Malaya, a representative of the Philippines National Security Council, voiced condemnation against the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) latest round of aggressive acts against local Philippine fishermen, as reported on JURIST – News.
In a recent televised interview, Malaya provided details on the incident that occurred on January 12th wherein fishermen from Philippines were harassed by the CCG in the Scarborough Shoal area following shell collection along the shoreline – a claim supported by a local witness’s Facebook post. The representative further alleged that the CCG officials demanded that the seashells be returned before driving them away from the Scarborough Shoal area.
This is not the first incident of tension between the two nations over the disputed area. Previous altercations saw China removing a floating barrier erected by the Philippines near the Julian Felipe Reef back in 2023 and deploying its own Coast Guard in response. Indeed, the lingering dispute has even seen its day in court. In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines regarding the disputed areas in the South China Sea, or the West Philippines Sea as referred to in the Philippines. However, China declared it would not acknowledge the ruling due to non-recognition of the court’s jurisdiction or authority in such matters.
In light of China’s non-compliance, the Philippines has sought the extension of military presence by the U.S. within its territories in an effort to safeguard its interests in the event of further Chinese incursions.
Reiterating the denial of the Filipino people’s rights to their territorial resources, Commodore Jay Tariela, a Philippines Coastguard Spokesperson, stated that China’s actions flout international law, signified by their non-adherence to the arbitration award that upholds these rights.