MANILA, Philippines - The Chinese embassy in Manila announced yesterday that it will be closing its visa section in Makati City tomorrow for security reasons as protest rallies against China led by a new group known as the West Philippine Sea Coalition (WPSC) will be held on the same day.
“The visa office of the consular section of the Chinese embassy will be closed on Wednesday, July 24, 2013 for security reasons,†said a notice posted on the embassy’s website.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the planned protests tomorrow in front of the Chinese embassy and consulate here and in other parts of the world are actions by individuals in their private capacity.
DFA spokesman Raul Hernandez said Filipinos have the right to express in a peaceful manner their position and sentiment on the issue of the West Philippine Sea.