BRAWNER: 50K CHALLENGES ISSUED VS SHIPS PASSING EEZ, TERRITORIAL WATERS IN 2024 SO FAR

The Philippines has issued around 50,000 challenges against vessels passing the territorial waters and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the country this year so far, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said.

Interviewed on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon’s pre-SONA special, Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. said some Chinese warships were getting close to the coastal waters of the Philippines.

“For this year alone, we already have 50,000 challenges na ginagawa doon sa mga barko na dumadaan po sa ating mga international waters na sakop po noong ating exclusive economic zone, pati na rin po iyong internal waters natin,” he said.

(For this year alone, we already have 50,000 challenges being made on ships that pass through our international waters that were covered by our exclusive economic zone, as well as our internal waters.)

Some of the concerned vessels responded to the challenges while some did not, according to Brawner.

The AFP chief noted that some parts of the Philippine waters are considered an international maritime highway so many maritime, commercial, and even war ships usually pass through these areas.

Tensions continue amid China’s massive claim in the South China Sea (SCS) including the portion the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The SCS is a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Aside from the Philippines, China has overlapping claims in the area with Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has since refused to recognize the decision. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News

This article Brawner: 50K challenges issued vs ships passing EEZ, territorial waters in 2024 so far was originally published in GMA News Online.

2024-07-02T09:09:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd