Cue gov’t, ships told

All foreign vessels, including those of superpowers United States and China, are now required to seek clearance from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) before being allowed to cross the country’s waters based on a directive of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The edict was issued to ensure foreign vessels with “innocent passage” spotted near Philippine waters will no longer cause alarm or serious security concern, according to the instruction.

Relaying the President’s move, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said the order was meant to “avoid misunderstanding in the future.”

“The President is putting on notice that beginning today, all foreign vessels passing our territorial waters must notify and get clearance from the proper government authority well in advance of the actual passage,” the Palace official said.

He stressed the Palace expects nothing more than a cordial cooperation from other countries or the government would be compelled to exercise the full extent of the country’s law to violators.

Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go said the President merely wanted foreign ships

to respect SEN. Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go doubles down in his support to President Rodrigo Duterte’s policy supporting the SOGIE law and a directive to foreign ships. the country’s territory by seeking government clearance.

In an ambush interview on Tuesday, Go said “what the President wanted is to respect what is ours. If you are going to pass by, ask for clearance,” Go told reporters.

“When we pass by other countries’ (territory), we need to ask for permission. If they pass by here, they should also ask for authority from our government,” he noted.

Fair warning

“Either we get a compliance in a friendly manner or we enforce it in an unfriendly manner,” stated Panelo without giving added details on measures the government will take should foreign vessels not comply with the order.

Panelo likewise mentioned that it would be the PCG on the forefront of enforcing the President’s directive with augmentation forces coming from the military should a violent confrontation ensue.

Mr. Duterte’s instruction comes at the heels of numerous reports of China’s war and survey ships navigating through the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, the latest being the Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) recently released a report that several Chinese warships sailed through Sibutu Strait in July and earlier this month without giving prior notification to Philippine authorities.

In a statement Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto said the President was “in the right” in directing foreign ships to ask clearance from the government.

“If we accost jaywalkers and fine drivers who change lanes abruptly, then why should we not demand the same observance of our laws from vessels who will cross into our territory?” the Senate leader asked.

Trespassing frequent

Defense chief Delfin Lorenzana has earlier expressed concern and cited a few past instances where the Chinese vessels were seen sailing through the area since February.

Last 6 August, the military’s Western Command disclosed that four more Chinese warships traversed through the country’s territorial waters, this time near Palawan’s Balabac Island without proper authorization by local authorities. The fleet also reportedly ignored radio communications and warnings from the AFP.

The President is slated to leave on 28 August for his second trip to Beijing for the year where he is expected to raise the maritime issues between the two nations particularly the 2016 ruling by a United Nations-backed court invalidating China’s nine-dash line claims in the South China (West Philippine) Sea.

The order was meant to avoid misunderstanding in the future.

Palace expects nothing more than a cordial cooperation from other countries.

CoC for unwrapping

He is also likely to continue laying the blueprint for the long-mooted Code of Conduct (CoC) in the disputed waterway.

The Philippines, through Mr. Duterte, is the lead negotiator for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations-China Dialogue whose main task is to complete a sea pact to avoid maritime incidents and confrontations between China and the ASEAN’s member-states.

Four ASEAN members, namely the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Brunei, are involved in a maritime territorial tug-of-war with China in the said body of water.