Philippine Rise is Ours!
The militarization of China of the features in the South
China Sea is now over spilling in the other side of the Philippines-at the
moment it is the Philippine rise is the issue at hand. The government last year
issued Executive Order No. 25,which states that :
-Philippine Rise
region as a 24-million hectare area “located within the Philippine exclusive
economic zone and continental shelf, as well as the outer limits of the
continental shelf in accordance with the recommendations of the Commission on
Limits of the Continental Shelf issued on 12 April 2012.” *
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| Philippine flag, next to a Sarcophyton soft coral one of the many treasures seen in the waters of Philippine rise ( photo credit OCEANA/UPLB ) |
“The Benham Rise
Region is subject to the sovereign rights and jurisdiction of the Philippines
pursuant to relevant provisions of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, national
legislation, the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of Sea), and
applicable international law,”
Early this week the Philippines filed a strong diplomatic
protest when China named five undersea features at the Philippine Rise. Some
quarters have sounded the alarm that the Chinese actions might lead to China
laying claim over the vast resource-rich Philippine Territory.
Chinese Ministry
of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson Geng Shuang said in a press conference on
in Beijing, has assured the Philippines that it respects Philippines’ sovereign
rights amid concerns aired by some Filipinos on its actions naming five
undersea features at the Philippine Rise.
“China respects
the relevant rights enjoyed by the Philippines concerning the Benham Rise
(former name of Philippine Rise),” Shuang said.
In the same press
conference Shuang reiterated that China’s action in naming five undersea
features in the Philippine territory part of international practice.
“The Chinese side is always engaged in the relevant work in accordance with the international practices and the rules of this organization,” Shuang said.
“According to the information I have received, the Sub-Committee On Undersea Feature Names is a specialized international organization in charge of establishing standards on naming undersea geographic features,” he added. *
Spokesperson Geng Shuang said the relevant countries and individuals may submit naming proposals on the unnamed undersea features “which are twelve nautical miles away from the littoral states.”
Based on media reports, the five undersea waters that have Chinese names include Jinghao, Tianbao, Haidonquing and Jujiu Seamounts and Cuiqiao Hill.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque in behalf of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, had expressed objection to China’s move but clarified there was no bad faith on China’s naming of PH Rise’s undersea features.
China recently was allowed by the Philippines to conduct scientific research at the Philippine Rise before the government ordered stoppage of foreign explorations in the area.
The Philippines, Roque said, would not use the Chinese names and instead it would give its own names to each underwater feature found at the 13-million hectare territory which recognized by the UN as part of the Philippines’ extended continental shelf.
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