Palace backs filing of protest vs China

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang supports the move of the foreign affairs department to file two diplomatic protests against China for pointing a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship and declaring a Philippine territory as part of Hainan province.

“It is necessary for the government to protest against China’s moves,” said presidential spokesman Harry Roque Jr., regardless of President Duterte’s pivot to Beijing since the start of his administration in 2016.

“We do it if it is necessary, with or without the COVID-19. We will continue to protect and push for the integrity of our national territory and our sovereign rights,” Roque said.

He noted that the protest highlighted the Philippines’ serious concern on China’s move to establish the Paracel (Xisha) and Spratly (Nansha) in the South China Sea as districts under Sansha City.

He said China declared its commitment that it would not conduct any reclamation activities in the South China Sea.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locson Jr. said the contents of the diplomatic protests filed by the Philippines are “strictly confidential.”

In a tweet yesterday, Locsin said he does not want to hear any comment from colleagues on the diplomatic notes.

“And colleagues. I don’t want to hear any comment from any of them. Diplomacy is for top diplomats and heads of state only,” Locsin said.

Former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario also supported the filing of protests against China.

“We fully concur with the filing of diplomatic protests against China by the Secretary of Foreign Affairs covering the threats to a Philippine Navy ship and the declaration by China of Philippine territory as part of Hainan province in violation of international law,” del Rosario said in a statement.

“We further condemn that China has predictably been relentless in exploiting the COVID-19 pandemic as it pursues its illegal and expansive claims in the (South China Sea) to the prejudice of Filipinos, the ASEAN states and the international community,” he said.

Meanwhile, an encroaching Chinese warship directly threatened a Philippine Navy (PN) patrol ship on maritime and sovereignty patrol in the West Philippine Sea, the Palawan-based Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Command reported yesterday.

Wescom commander Vice Admiral Rene Medina said the “close maritime encounter” took place when a Chinese corvette was monitored by Filipino sailors to have directed its gun control director (GCD) at the PN vessel BRP Conrado Yap (PS39) while inside Philippine waters off the coast of Palawan last Feb. 17.

“The GCD can be used to designate and track targets and makes all the main guns ready to fire in under a second,” Medina said. – With Pia Lee-Brago, Jaime Laude, Roel Pareno