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MANILA, Philippines — Militant lawmakers have sought a congressional inquiry into the recent incursion by a Chinese spy vessel into Philippine waters as they slammed it as a “flagrant violation” of the country’s national sovereignty and security.
House deputy minority leader and Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate and Bayan Muna Reps. Eufemia Cullamat and Ferdinand Gaite also called on the House of Representatives to condemn the intrusion of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) electronic reconnaissance ship 792 in the Sulu Sea during a maritime exercise between the United States and the Philippines in late January.
In House Resolution No. 2528, the party-list lawmakers slammed China for ignoring the Philippines’ authority over its territory.
They pointed out that as of the end of 2021, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed at least 211 diplomatic protests against illegal incursions by Chinese maritime vessels in Philippine waters.
Repeated, unwanted
“The repeated and unwanted incursions of Chinese vessels into Philippine territory not only raises serious concerns, but flagrant violations of the country’s national sovereignty and security. These acts brazenly disregard Philippine authority over its territory, thus these should be condemned and investigated,” the lawmakers said.
They cited several intrusions by Chinese vessels in Philippine waters—such as the 2021 report on the presence of 220 Chinese fishing vessels moored in the Julian Felipe Reef within the country’s exclusive economic zone, the 2019 ramming by a Chinese vessel of a Filipino fishing boat, and China’s construction of air and naval bases, which transformed seven reefs into artificial islands.
The Bayan Muna lawmakers sought the probe in the wake of reports that PLAN 792, a Chinese reconnaissance vessel, was spotted in the Sulu Sea from Jan. 29 to Feb. 1.
This was during the Marine Exercise 2022 of the Philippine and US Marines off the coast of Palawan.
Innocent passage
The Chinese vessel claimed it was exercising its right to innocent passage and ignored the demands of the Philippine Navy’s BRP Antonio Luna to leave the area immediately.
The DFA summoned Chinese ambassador to Manila Huang Xilian over the incident.
Last week, Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta Rep. Jericho Nograles urged the military to make a full disclosure of all incursions made by Chinese maritime vessels into Philippine waters.
The Philippines and China are among several nations locked in a territorial dispute over the South China Sea, part of which is being claimed by the Philippines as the West Philippine Sea.
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