SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – Under former president Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines had apparently agreed to stay away from Panatag or Scarborough Shoal, a feature in the West Philippine Sea that’s just over 120 nautical miles away from mainland Zambales.
The details of the apparent “temporary” deal were made public by the Chinese Embassy statement late Thursday, May 2, days after the China Coast Guard (CCG) used water cannons against Philippine vessels on a humanitarian mission to Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc, on April 30.
According to the embassy, the Duterte administration agreed to “temporary special arrangements by the Chinese side” that meant:
The first point – to only allow Filipino fisherfolk in the vicinity and not in the lagoon itself – was made public ev…