Phl files diplomatic protest vs. China over latest harassment in WPS

The Philippines filed a diplomatic protest against China over its latest harassment of Filipino-manned vessels in the West Philippine Sea, Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo announced Thursday.

According to Manalo, the note verbal was forwarded to Beijing in relation to the China Coast Guard’s hostile actions against the vessels of the Philippine Coast Guard and Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources on Wednesday that were conducting maritime patrols near Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal.

The PCG reported that CCG vessels, along with a People’s Liberation Army Navy vessel, fired water cannons and side-swipe a BFAR vessel en route to deliver fresh supplies to Filipino fishermen in the area.

“It’s very clear. I mean, we were within our legal rights and Japan, of course, has supported us on that and many other countries,” he told reporters in an interview on the sidelines of signing the P611 million worth of Official Security Assistance between the Philippines and Japan.

“Certainly, we don’t understand why China again is repeating these actions, which are clearly illegal,” he added.

The Foreign Affairs chief said he would summon the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines to lodge the country’s sentiments on the latest incident in the WPS.

On Wednesday, Bejing, through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, belied Philippine officials’ claims, noting that Philippine ships “intrude” on their water.

“Huangyan Dao has always been China’s territory. The Philippines sent Coast Guard and official vessels there and tried to intrude into China’s territorial sea surrounding Huangyan Dao,” Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said in a statement.

“In response, China did what was necessary to protect our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests in accordance with the law,” he added.

He noted that the measures conducted by the CCG were “justified, lawful, professional, and restrained.”

“China calls on the Philippines to stop those infringement activities and provocations at once and not to challenge China’s firm resolve to defend our lawful rights and interests,” he said.

Beijing is insisting on its territorial rights over the Scarborough Shoal, which is located 120 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc in Zambales and is considered a traditional fishing ground for Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea.

According to DFA Spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza, the Philippines has sent a total of 60 diplomatic protests against China since the start of the year.

Tensions between the two countries have risen over the past years due to its overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, a portion of the South China Sea.

China claims the vast South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea, which is within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

China’s historic “nine-dash line claim,” however, was rejected by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016 after it favored Manila’s sovereign rights in the area.