Philippine Coast Guard removes 'floating barrier' at disputed reef

Contributing sentiments towards policy:

50% : Manila removed a floating barrier Beijing had installed last week at a disputed shoal in the South China Sea to prevent Filipinos from fishing in the area, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday.Commodore Jay Tarriela, a Philippine Coast Guard spokesman, said the "special operation" to remove the floating barrier that obstructed the entrance to Scarborough Shoal was carried out under the instruction of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr."The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law," said Tarriela in a statement posted on social media platform X. The West Philippine Sea is Manila's name for parts of the South China Sea within its jurisdiction.
50% : Tarriela also said the Philippine Coast Guard's removal of the barrier "aligns with international law and the Philippines' sovereignty over the shoal.
47% : She was referring to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague in 2016 ruling in favor of the Philippines, while throwing out China's expansive claims in the South China Sea.
32% : "China's reported installation of barriers and its negative impact on the livelihood of Filipino fisherfolk or any other activity that infringes upon the Philippines' sovereignty and jurisdiction in Bajo de Masinloc are violations of international law, particularly UNCLOS and the Arbitral Award," Daza said.

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