President Duterte has asserted the Philippines’s exclusive economic rights over areas in the West Philippine Sea which are within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Mr. Duterte said China knows that the Philippines is entitled to exclusive rights over the West Philippine Sea, by virtue of international law and the arbitration case decided in the Philippines’s favor by the United Nations’ Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA).
“At this time, I said we are not cutting umbilical cords, but I would not also want to place my country in jeopardy. I don’t like hostile moves,” the told President the members of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) at the Villamor Air Base on Tuesday afternoon.
“For example, China knows that we are really entitled. Let’s not fool around. We already won at the arbitral tribunal. So China knows that we have a claim that is legitimate. But the problem is, they are also claiming it as a territory,” he added.
Mr. Duterte said earlier he is open to holding bilateral negotiations with China regarding joint exploration and exploitation in the disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea, but he said his negotiating position will be limited “to the four corners” of the PCA’s decision in favor of the Philippines.
Among others, the PCA’s decision invalidated China’s claim of historical right over the West Philippine Sea, as reflected by its overarching “nine-dash” line.
The President cited the territorial limits of the Philippine territory, and its exclusive economic interest even beyond the territorial waters, which extends up to 200 nautical miles from the coast.
“I would like to make it clear again. Our territorial limits are 12 miles from the seashores. That is the territorial integrity of the Republic of the Philippines. Beyond that is our own exclusive economic interest,” Mr. Duterte said.
“In other words, all countries are given that. It’s like we’re all given a fishpond, and the fish there are ours, and whatever is under that—if it’s really oil or gas—that’s included. That’s our fishpond. All nations are given that 200 [nautical mile] delineation,” he added.