The Department of Foreign Affairs said on Monday it had sent two diplomatic protests to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and summoned Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian over the two water cannon incidents in the West Philippine Sea over the weekend.

During the press briefer of the National Task Force-West Philippine Sea in Malacañang, DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said that the Philippines filed several protests to serve as formal records of incidents that the Philippines can use for any legal action it may pursue.

"We used the maritime communication mechanism, which was used yesterday at 12 o'clock noon. The DFA launched its diplomatic protest with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs counterpart through a phone call," Daza said.

"And in terms of the demarche undertaken by (the) Philippine Embassy in Beijing, yes, we confirm that our Philippine Embassy in Beijing has made a demarche to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials yesterday concerning the Bajo de Masinloc incident and the Ayungin Shoal incident," she added.

A demarche is a diplomatic action that involves presenting viewpoints or grievances to a government or public authority, typically seen as a step or maneuver in diplomatic proceedings.

Daza said the Chinese envoy was summoned "later this afternoon to protest the incident."

In the same briefing, Daza underscored the crucial role of diplomatic protests in asserting the Philippines' sovereign rights and legal position.

"A protest has both diplomatic and legal function," she said. "Firstly, it allows us to express the state's official position on a certain issue, assert our rights, and prevent the [unclear] to positions or rights asserted by other states."

"They are official positions, and sometimes some of you would be impatient," she added. "But they have legal value because they are evidence of state practice."

"China is underscoring its position based on customary practice. If you agree to that and you don't say anything, then you are saying, 'Yes, they're on the right.' But we're saying, 'No, they are not on the right.' Not only are we supported by UNCLOS; more importantly, this has been reaffirmed by the Arbitral Award."

The Philippines' claim to the West Philippine Sea is firmly grounded in international law, specifically the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award.