Philippines files two diplomatic protest vs China

April 23, 2020

The Philippines on Wednesday filed two diplomatic protests against China for harassing a Philippine Navy ship and setting up two districts that covers Manila's territories in the West Philippine Sea.

"At 5:17 pm today the Chinese embassy received 2 diplomatic protests: 1. on the pointing of a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship in PH waters & 2. declaring parts of Philippine territory as part of Hainan province—both violations of international law & Philippine sovereignty," Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said on Twitter.

“We worked on this the whole day. And that is all that will be said on it because diplomatic notes are strictly confidential between two states parties. Period,” he added.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said in a statement Wednesday night that he asked the Philippine Navy ''to give a detailed briefing on the incident where a radar gun was pointed at the BRP Conrado Yap.

The two new districts in the Paracels and  the Spratlys, where several areas are claimed by the Philippines will be under the authority of Sansha, a city in the southern island of Hainan provnce.

Earlier, retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, who both played roles in securing a judgment against China at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, urged the Philippine government to protest China’s creation of the new districts.

“DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) should protest because Fiery Cross (Kagitingan) Reef is part of our Kalayaan Island Group. Vietnam already protested. If we do not protest, China will later claim we acquiesced,” Carpio said.

Del Rosario also accused China of taking advantage the coronavirus disease pandemic to advance its illegal territorial claims.

"These recent events in the South China Sea remind us Filipinos to be eternally vigilant in the defense of our country’s territory and sovereign rights even as we confront a very grave threat as COVID-19," Del Rosario said in a statement.

China claims a large area of the South China Sea as part of its territory, but the Permanent Court of Arbitration tribunal in The Hague invalidated this claim in July 12, 2016 following a case filed by the Philippines in 2013.

Beijing said it has “indisputable” and “historical” claim over nearly the entire waters. DMS