Palace: Panatag issue ‘shelved’ to secure access to fishing grounds

THE Duterte administration is shelving the issue of the country’s claim on Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal to ensure that

made the clarification two days after China protested the presence of a United States warship just 12 nautical miles from Panatag Shoal, which lies within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive

“Our interest is protecting the rights our principle that Scarborough Shoal is our territory, but we are shelving the issue of territory because we want to provide

too? But it is clear that all the evidence that will prove our

- nent Court of Arbitration provides that Panatag Shoal is

“For now, what’s important is the right to livelihood of - that there would be a breach of the good faith obligation,

both countries to maintain their current good relations,”