President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday pledged that his administration will continue to defend the Philippines’ maritime territory as well as the rights of Filipino fisherfolk.

Marcos made the vow as he justified his recent order to remove the floating barriers installed by the China Coast Guard in the southeast entrance of Scarborough Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.

In a media interview on the sidelines of rice distribution in Siargao Island, Surigao del Norte, Marcos said he would assert the country’s rights over Philippine waters, but clarified that he is not picking a fight with China.

“Hindi tayo naghahanap ng gulo. Basta gagawin natin, patuloy nating ipagtatanggol ang Pilipinas, ang maritime territory ng Pilipinas, ang mga karapatan ng mga fishermen natin na mangisda doon sa mga areas kung saan sila nangingisda daang-daang taon na (We are not looking for trouble. What we will do is continue defending the Philippines, the maritime territory of the Philippines, the rights of our fishermen who have been fishing there for hundreds of years),” he said.

“Kaya’t hindi ko maintindihan bakit nagbago ng ganito. Basta’t kagaya ng sabi ko, umiiwas nga tayo sa gulo, umiiwas tayo sa mga maiinit na salita ngunit matibay ang ating pagdepensa sa teritoryo ng Pilipinas (So I don’t understand why it changed like this. But as I said, we avoid trouble, we avoid heated exchange but our defense of Philippine territory is strong),” Marcos added.

Marcos said the removal of floating barriers at Bajo de Masinloc would enable local fisherfolk to increase their catch.

He added that he would not allow foreign entities to put up a barrier “that is within the Philippines.”

“But in terms of taking down the barrier, I don’t see what else we could do dahil talaga ‘yung mga fishermen, noong pinutol ‘yong tali, ‘yung mga nakapasok na fishermen noong araw na ‘yun, nakahuli sila ng 164 tons na isda. So, sa isang araw pa lang ‘yun (because the fishermen, when the barrier was removed, the fishermen who entered that day, they caught 164 tons of fish. So, that’s just in one day),” he said.

Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Thursday said the Philippine government is “seriously” studying the case buildup against China, in the wake of its installation of floating barriers at Bajo de Masinloc.

Also on Thursday, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said the Philippine government’s legal team is determining the proper complaint that will be filed against China, most likely before the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) or other bodies such as the International Court of Justice.

Bajo de Masinloc is an integral part of the Philippines over which it has sovereignty and territorial jurisdiction, according to United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

On July 12, 2016, the PCA affirmed Bajo de Masinloc as a traditional fishing ground of Filipino fisherfolk. (PNA)