MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he will wait for military’s recommendation before filing a protest against China after 220 of its militia vessels were seen at Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea.
Locsin said in a Twitter post on Sunday, he will only lodge a diplomatic protest on China’s provocative action once the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) sees the need for it.
“Only if the generals tell me,” Locsin said when asked by a netizen regarding China’s vessels. “In my watch foreign policy is the fist in the iron glove of the armed forces. I don’t care for media. Undependable. And civilian”
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Saturday received a report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) that 220 Chinese fishing vessels – believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel – were spotted moored in line formation at the Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) on March 7.
The reef, which is located approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Palawan, is within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone and Continental Shelf where the country enjoys the exclusive right to exploit or conserve any resources which encompass both living resources and non-living resources.
“Despite clear weather at the time, the Chinese vessels massed at the reef showed no actual fishing activities and had their full white lights turned on during night time,” said NTF-WPS.
“The NTF-WPS notes this circumstance as a concern due to the possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as risks to safety of navigation,” it added.
However, the task force assured that the government will adhere to the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea in the South China Sea disputes.
In 2013, the Philippines challenged China’s legal basis for its expansive claim before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands. The country won the case in a landmark award in 2016.
However, China refused to acknowledge the verdict saying it has historical basis and are “indisputable” despite encroaching on the territories of its smaller neighbors like the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei./PN
