A video on YouTube is claiming that Chinese nationals aboard vessels intruding into Philippine waters will be arrested by naval forces under the Archipelagic Sea Lanes (ASL) Act passed by the Senate. This needs context.
Senate Bill (SB) 2665 or the ASL Act that was approved on third reading last Aug. 13, has not been enacted. The priority measure also does not give blanket authority to the military to arrest intruders right away.
Published on Aug. 15, the three-minute video needing context carries this headline:
“INTSIK AARESTOHIN NA PAG PUMASOK TERRITORIAL WATERS! PWERSAHANG HUHULIHIN NG BARKO PANDIGMA NG NAVY
(Chinese people will be arrested once they enter territorial waters! Will be seized by Navy warships)”
The video’s thumbnail also has this text:
“CHINA MAGUGULAT DITO. BATAS NA AARESTOHIN (sic) LAHAT NG PAPASOK. BALA PWERSAHANG GAGAMITIN NA PAG MGA HINDI NAGSILAYAS
(China will be shocked by this. A law will enable arrest of those who will enter. Bullets will be forcibly used on those who will not leave).”
The video narrator said all those entering Philippine waters are obligated to seek permission from local authorities, otherwise they will be ordered to leave and risk arrest if they do not comply.
Contrary to the video’s claim, SB 2665 does not explicitly state that Chinese nationals aboard vessels entering the country’s territorial waters will be arrested, shot or harmed if they refuse to leave.
It states that “foreign ships and aircraft shall pass through or above the archipelagic sea lanes as quickly as possible without delay.”
The bill also says that any foreign warship or aircraft that chooses to disobey orders from authorities will be asked to leave the archipelagic waters or airspace. Non-compliance may lead to imprisonment, not the use of military arms against the offending ship or aircraft.
SB 2665 is now pending in the Conference Committee where it will be harmonized with its counterpart bill (HB 9034) passed by the Lower House on Dec. 12, 2023. The final version will then be sent to the President for signing into law.
“We will be able to better monitor the movement of foreign vessels and aircraft and ask them to leave should they pose a threat to our peace and order, and national security,” according to Sen. Francis Tolentino, principal sponsor of the bill.
The video gained more traction after Philippine and Chinese vessels again collided near a shoal in the disputed Spratly Islands more than a week ago.
YouTube channel Melvs Castle (created on Dec. 2, 2011) published the video, garnering over 31,000 views and 1,700 online interactions. It could have potentially reached 261,000 YouTube users.
