PH asserts sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc at UN

The Philippines has asserted its sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) before the United Nations General Assembly, directly challenging China's claims.

Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Antonio Lagdameo stated that Bajo de Masinloc has always been an integral part of Philippine territory.

Lagdameo emphasized that only the Philippines has the right to establish baselines and territorial sea around the shoal in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

He explicitly rejected China's baseline claims in the waters off Bajo de Masinloc, which is located west of Luzon.

The Philippine envoy also criticized China's submission of its territorial sea baselines to the UN Secretary-General, deeming it a violation of UNCLOS and a threat to the rules-based international order.