MANILA, Philippines - Defense and military officials are now
withholding comment on developments in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal off
Zambales that is also being claimed by China.
“Statements on monitoring of the situation is no longer within our
level,” a military official based in Northern Luzon told The STAR
yesterday, referring to the ongoing standoff in Panatag Shoal, which is
124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales.
The Northern Luzon Command (Nolcom) under Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara has operational jurisdiction over Panatag Shoal.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA) is now dealing with all underlying matters resulting from
the month-long territorial standoff.
“Huwag natin palakihin pa (Let’s not make this issue bigger),” Gazmin
said, referring to the series of pronouncements coming from Beijing,
including a claim made by a Chinese television commentator saying that
the Philippines belongs to China.
China also declared its readiness for “any escalation” in the event the Panatag Shoal standoff worsens.
A month ago yesterday, two Chinese Maritime Surveillance Vessels
(CMS) prevented the Philippine Navy flagship BRP Gregorio del Pilar from
arresting Chinese fishermen who were poaching inside the lagoon of
Panatag Shoal.
The standoff continued after Beijing deployed one of its modern
ships, the FLEC (Fisheries and Law Enforcement Command) 310 in the area
in support of their other vessels that are now pre-positioned in the
mouth of the lagoon.
Local fishermen from Masinloc, Zambales complained that Chinese vessels have barred them from entering Panatag Shoal.
Members of the militant fisherfolk group Pamalakaya dared
presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda and Defense Secretary Gazmin to
visit Panatag Shoal to see how Filipino fishermen are being barred from
entering the lagoon in Panatag Shoal that is also called Bajo de
Masinloc and Karburo by local fishermen.
“The people and the local government of Masinloc are telling the
world that small fishermen are barred from entering Panatag Shoal,” said
Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya president.
Masinloc Mayor Desiree Edora said that Chinese vessels have prevented
local fishermen from fishing inside the lagoon of Bajo de Masinloc.
Edora’s municipal secretary RJay Bautista said that these recent
incidents at Bajo de Masinloc have been recorded by the Navy and by the
Nolcom troops who interviewed the fishermen following their return from
Panatag Shoal last Sunday.
Meanwhile, the defense department is also mum on the decision of
Chinese travel agencies to suspend tourist packages to the Philippines.
“Let us not blow that up. We’ll just let the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) answer that,” Gazmin said.
Rommel Banlaoi, executive director of think tank Philippine Institute
for Peace, Violence and Terrorism Research, dismissed the move of the
Chinese travel agencies.
“That is not prudent for China to suspend tourist packages to the Philippines amid the Panatag Shoal standoff,” Banlaoi said.
“If that is true, it is not a friendly gesture, considering that
years 2012 and 2013 have been declared years of friendly exchanges
between the Philippines and China,” he added.
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Jaime Laude
| The Philippine Star | May 11, 2012 | Article Link
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