PH files 27 diplomatic protests vs China in first half of 2026

MANILA, August 23 ------ The Philippines has filed 27 diplomatic protests against China over its actions in the West Philippine Sea during the first half of 2026, the National Maritime Council (NMC) said.

NMC spokesperson Alexander Lopez said the protests were filed by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) over China’s alleged illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive (ICAD) actions in the West Philippine Sea. In a press briefing in Manila, the NMC revealed that the Philippines filed four protests each in January, February and April, and five each in March, May and June. “The nature of diplomatic protests is actually incident-driven. So, I guess the data over the past semester showed there are several incidents that necessitated our government, specifically the DFA, to come up with appropriate diplomatic actions,” Lopez told reporters.

The figure comes amid continued tensions between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea, including confrontations involving Philippine and Chinese vessels. Despite the number of protests, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela said the Philippines has recorded fewer incidents involving Chinese maritime forces compared with previous years. “I highlighted that the last water cannon incident we reported was December 2025. The most recent was two weeks ago during the humanitarian mission of the BFAR [Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources] and the Philippine Coast Guard, wherein a BFAR vessel was once again subjected to a water cannon,” Tarriela said. “If your question is the number of incidents per se, I think there is a much more limited number of incidents we have reported so far compared to previous years,” he added.

Monitoring by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also showed a decrease in People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-N) and Chinese maritime militia vessels during the first half of the year. However, the AFP noted an increase in China Coast Guard (CCG) and Chinese research vessels, particularly in northern Philippine waters. “The overall numbers from the first semester of last year to the first semester of this year show a decrease in the PLA-N and maritime militia, but an increase in the number of Coast Guard vessels and research or survey vessels up north,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Retired Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad (Reserve) said. “We are monitoring the maritime domain 24/7 through our land-based sensors in coordination with other government agencies. The noted increase in research vessels up north is one of the factors we are considering and giving more attention to,” he continued.

The Philippines has repeatedly protested China’s activities in the West Philippine Sea, maintaining that its maritime rights and entitlements are protected under international law, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award. China, however, rejects the landmark ruling and continues to assert its sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com