MANILA — Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remullla on Thursday refuted China's accusation that the Philippines made provocations with its removal of a floating barrier in Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea.

“We are not provoking anything. We are just, we are asserting our rights under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which is being respected by the whole world, hopefully by everybody, including China in the future,” Remulla said.

Beijing allegedly deployed the 300-meter floating barrier to stop Filipinos from entering the shoal's shallow waters where fish are more abundant.

China claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, while several other countries, including the Philippines, have overlapping claims to parts of it. Beijing seized Scarborough Shoal in 2012 and deploys coast guard and other vessels to patrol the fishing ground.

Remulla said the legal cluster of the Cabinet would meet and discuss a case buildup against China.

“It’s a matter of choosing the complaint to be filed and where to file the complaint, that will be discussed properly,” Remulla said.

Remulla said aside from the Permanent Court of Arbitration, other bodies are also being considered such as the International Court of Justice.

“But I think that I am more inclined to file it with the PCA because they have the familiarity and institutional memory to handle the cases about the West Philippine Sea,” Remulla said.

• PH Coast Guard removes floating barriers in Bajo de Masinloc
• China says barriers placed to stop PH intrusion in Scarborough
• Philippines urged to file fresh case vs China over 'illegal' Scarborough barrier

Scarborough Shoal sits 240 kilometers west of the Philippines' main island of Luzon and nearly 900 kilometers from the nearest major Chinese land mass of Hainan.

Under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which China helped negotiate, countries have jurisdiction over the natural resources within about 370 kilometers of their shore.

Beijing has ignored the 2016 international court ruling that its claims have no legal basis.

— With a report from Agence France-Presse

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