Philippines should do more than file protests vs China – Marcos Jr.

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines should go beyond filing diplomatic protests against China, President Marcos said yesterday, as the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) disclosed sending a note verbale to Beijing over the latest incident in Ayungin Shoal where the Chinese coast guard forcibly stopped a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the National Employment Summit in Manila, Marcos noted that the Philippines had already filed so many protests against China’s actions.

“We have over a hundred protests already. We have already made a similar number of demarche. So we have to do more than just that,” the President said.

He did not specify what doing more might entail.

Asked if he had summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to discuss the latest incident in the Ayungin Shoal, Marcos replied: “We have called him many, many times. Well, the DFA will have to decide to formalize that discussion with the ambassador, but we are actually constantly in touch with him.

“We have already made our position very clear. We have made our objections to some of the actions that were undertaken by the maritime forces of the PLA (People’s Liberation Army). Also, our objection to that, we have also made it very clear, not only to the ambassador but also to Beijing,” he explained.

On Wednesday, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo told reporters they had already sent a note verbale to China.

“So, it will really depend on how formal we want to make this complaint,” Marcos said without elaborating.

Not an armed attack

Marcos echoed the view of Philippine security officials that the Chinese coast guard’s actions during the June 17 incident did not constitute an armed attack, but emphasized they were deliberate.

Under the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty, the Philippines and the US may jointly develop their capabilities to counter an external armed aggression. US officials have repeatedly said that an armed attack on Filipino armed forces, public vessels or aircraft in the Pacific, including in the South China Sea, would invoke Washington’s treaty commitments.

“It’s not armed. Walang pumutok (No shot was fired),” Marcos said.

“They did not point guns at us. But it was a deliberate action to stop our people. And in the process of that, kinuhanan tayo (they seized something from us), they boarded a Philippine vessel, and took the equipment from that Philippine vessel. So, although there were no arms involved, nonetheless, it is still a deliberate action and it is essentially an illegal action that was taken by the Chinese forces,” he pointed out.

Marcos also clarified the previous statement of National Maritime Council chairman and Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin that the incident was possibly a “misunderstanding” or an “accident.”

“Initially, we were looking at data. Maybe it was just a mistake. But since I visited WESCOM (Western Command) and talked to (Vice) Admiral (Alfonso) Torres (Jr.) and the seamen, I said, ‘What really happened?’ Clearly, it was not a misunderstanding. They really went there to block our resupply,” the President said.