An official of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has expressed skepticism over China receiving approval to conduct marine scientific research (MSR) while it continues to disregard the Philippine’s sovereignty in contested waters.
“Kapag nag-request ang China (If China requests), I would not say no. But it's extremely doubtful under the circumstances that the working group would agree to grant it,” DFA Undersecretary Eduardo De Vega said during a Senate public inquiry into the submersible drone recently discovered in waters by Masbate.
This group is the technical working group on MSR which grants other states permission to carry out MSRs in the country. It is led by the DFA.
De Vega said only 68 MSRs have been greenlit since 1996, most of which were requested by Japan and done in waters off Mindanao. Moreover, the foreign scientists are joined by Filipino counterparts, and are required to give the latter access to all data gathered from the research.
He underscored that Beijing must first recognize the Philippines’ sovereignty before such arrangements are made.
“I'd rather that they at least share the right of our fishermen to Bajo De Masinloc, as according to the UNCLOS, rather than talking about sharing info,” the undersecretary said.
According to the UNCLOS, or the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, a foreign state must obtain the explicit consent of the coastal state in whose waters it intends to conduct research.
The submersible drone recovered on December 30 and purportedly owned by China is said to gather information about the waters it navigates.
“Ito ay ginagamit sa pag-check ng information sa karagatan kagaya ng depth ng tubig, ‘yung temperature, ‘yung salinity, at ‘yung ibang information about the ocean so ito ay may gamit sa academics, may gamit sa commercial value, at hindi rin natin ma-downplay na may gamit din for military purposes yung mag-gather the information,” Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said.
(This is used to check information about the sea like the depth of the water, its temperature, its salinity, and other information about the ocean, so this has use in the academics, has commercial value, and we cannot downplay that this will also have use for military purposes for the one who gathers the information.)
