35 diplomatic protests filed vs China so far this year – DFA

MANILA, August 24 ------ The Philippines has so far filed 35 diplomatic protests against China this year, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said.

The diplomatic protests were submitted to the Chinese Embassy in Manila. But DFA spokesperson Ambassador Angelica Escalona clarified that these do not include the protests the country might submit following incidents of harassment and dangerous maneuvers by Chinese assets against Philippine vessels and aircraft in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal last week.

Last Monday, August 11, a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship and a People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warship collided while pursuing the Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Suluan near the shoal. The CCG ship sustained heavy damage, rendering it unseaworthy, while the Chinese government has yet to announce any casualties in the incident.

On the same day, two CCG ships used water cannons against two Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessels conducting a maritime patrol near Bajo de Masinloc. Two days later—on Wednesday, August 13—a J-15 fighter jet of the PLA Naval Air Force (PLANAF) conducted dangerous maneuvers and came as close as 200 feet from a PCG Cessna Caravan during a domain awareness flight over the shoal. "Regarding the diplomatic protest for these specific incidents, pinag-aaralan pa ito," Escalona said in a press conference of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS).

Escalona stressed that the Philippines continues to keep lines of communication open with China through diplomatic channels. "Regarding the bilateral dialogue with China, yes, we are looking at existing platforms for discussing all these important matters with China," the DFA official said. "The instruction sa atin is we continue using dialogue and we keep lines open to China, alinsunod sa instructions ng pangulo to manage the issue in a peaceful manner," she added.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com