MANILA – The Philippines has filed another diplomatic protest against China. A total of 287 Chinese vessels are swarming the contested West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered the filing of the fresh protest.
China has continued to defy demands from Manila to withdraw its vessels from Philippine territory.
The fresh diplomatic protest was on top of the daily protests being filed by the DFA until all Chinese ships leave the vicinity waters of the country.
Locsin, however, also scored the National Task Force West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) for issuing a press release on the presence of the vessels supposedly without informing the DFA first.
“Maybe these idiots will have learned the protocol next time. I took this up with the President in Davao. We have a disease: everybody and his uncle wants to be a hero fighting China from the anonymity of a task force,” Locsin said.
In its report on Wednesday, the NTF-WPS said various Chinese maritime militia vessels were scattered in waters within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
A maritime patrol on May 9 spotted at least 287 China vessels in the West Philippine Sea, though scattered in various features of the municipality of Kalayaan.
Two Chinese maritime militia (CMM) vessels and two Houbei-class warships were spotted on Chinese-occupied Panganiban (Mischief) Reef; one CMM at Lawak (Nanshan Island) 11 CMM 29 nautical miles southwest of Recto (Reed) Bank; and one CMM near Ayungin Shoal. A China Coast Guard was also seen at the shoal on May 7.
Fourteen CMM vessels and one CCG ship were seen near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island; and 16 CMM vessels were spotted at Zamora (Subi) Reef.
On May 6, the patrol sighted 24 CMM vessels and one CCG anchored at Pag-asa Cays showing no visible activity.
The Philippine patrol also saw two CMM vessels at Panata Island; one Vietnamese fishing vessel at Kota (Loaita) Island; 64 CMM in Burgos (Gaven) Reef); and two Vietnamese fisheries surveillance ships at Paredes (Discovery Great) Reef. A Chinese rescue service ship, three People’s Liberation Army Navy vessels and 55 CMM vessels were spotted at Kagitingan (Fiery Cross) Reef.
There were 34 CMM spotted at Julian Felipe Reef; two Vietnamese logistics/ supply ships and one VN Coast Guard vessel at Sin Cowe East (Grierson) Reef) and 77 CMM in Chigua Reef./PN
