The Department of National Defense (DND) rejected China’s demand for Manila to relinquish its position on Bajo de Masinloc, reaffirming the Philippines’ commitment to uphold its sovereign rights over the feature.
Defense spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong addressed Beijing’s defense ministry, stating it had issued inaccurate characterizations regarding lawful Philippine operations conducted within its own national domain.
“The Department of National Defense rejects the Chinese Ministry of National Defense’s call to abandon the Philippines’ initiatives and position regarding Bajo de Masinloc and its patently false characterizations of lawful Philippine actions within Philippine territory and maritime areas,” Andolong stated.
The response follows remarks from Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Chen Xi, who urged Manila to halt actions Beijing claimed infringed upon Chinese sovereignty.
Chen specifically targeted Manila’s recent submission of an updated nautical chart—which includes Bajo de Masinloc (referred to by China as Huangyan Dao)—to the United Nations through the Department of Foreign Affairs.
In response, the DND stated that Manila’s position remains firmly rooted in international law, referencing the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated Beijing’s expansive South China Sea claims.
“[Bajo de Masinloc] is an integral and longstanding part of the Philippine national territory, and its maritime zones and entitlements, as established by the Philippines, are strictly in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award,” Andolong said.
Andolong explained that submitting the revised nautical map to the UN was intended to establish clear boundaries for the nation’s maritime entitlements.
“The recent submission by the Philippines of the updated nautical chart to the United Nations provides the necessary legal clarity and due publicity to the international community on the geographical limits of our maritime zones in Bajo de Masinloc,” Andolong stated.
Located 124 nautical miles from Zambales, Bajo de Masinloc sits well within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zone, compared to being roughly 470 to 500 nautical miles from China’s Hainan province.
“The Philippines will continue the lawful exercise of its sovereignty over BDM,” Andolong added.
The defense department also criticized Beijing for spreading misleading claims while engaging in actions that disrupt regional stability.
“We will not be deterred by China’s false narratives and hooliganism, as evidenced by its continued aggressive activities and attempts to distort history and the rules-based international order,” Andolong noted.