Nababahala ang isang lokal na mambabatas sa Lalawigan ng Palawan sa mga namamataang mga barko mula sa bansang China sa Julian Felipe Reef, malapit sa Bayan ng Bataraza at sakop ng West Philippine Sea.
“Alam ko this is a national issue but these are located only 175 nautical miles from Bataraza if I’m not mistaken so for me this is little bit too close for comfort cause apparently itong mga militia ship nila, ito daw ang senyales na they’re really trying to occupy that territory, so medyo alarming,” pahayag ni 1st district Board Member Juan Antonio.
Kaugnay nito ay hiniling ni BM Alvarez na magpasa ng resolusyon ang Sangguniang Panlalawigan para suportahan ang ‘diplomatic protest’ ng Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) laban sa presensya umano ng Chinese maritime militia at hiniling na ipatawag ang representante ng Western Command upang malaman kasalukuyang sitwasyon sa lugar.
“My first motion, we file a resolution to support the diplomatic protest files by our [Department] of Foreign Affairs, and 2nd as a chairman of the committee of peace and order, I would like to invite sa committee level lang any representative of WestCom to update us kung ano na ang sitwasyon doon sa nangyayaring docking ng mga chinese ships doon sa ating West Philippine sea. ”
Sa panayam ng Palawan Daily News kay Colonel Stephen Penetrante, tagapagsalita ng Western Command, patuloy umano ang kanilang pagbabantay sa lugar.
“Ang WESCOM po [is] continuously monitoring the situation. At continuously pine-preform ang kaniyang mission to protect our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea kaya patuloy po [na] may regular air patrol po and maritime sovereignty patrol po doon sa area.”
“‘Yun po ang alituntunin at gawain na ibinigay sa atin ng katas-taasan na namumuno. So, ‘yun po ‘yung gagawin ng Wescom – to continuously monitor the situation and to accomplish its mission to protect our sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea.”
Samantala sa inilabas na pahayag ng DFA noong Martes, March 23 sa kanilang social media account, hinihiling ng gobyerno ng Pilipinas na umalis na ang mga ito sa Julian Felipe Reef dahil sakop ito ng exclusive economic zone ng bansa.
“The Philippines demands that China promptly withdraw its fishing vessels and maritime vessels in the vicinity and adjacent waters of relevant features in the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the West Philippine Sea, and to direct its fishing vessels to desist from environmentally destructive activities,” pahayag ng Department of Foreign Affairs.