By NG Seruela
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. ordered the department on Thursday (May 13) to file another diplomatic protest against the presence of 287 Chinese vessels in Kalayaan.
In a series of tweets, Locsin initially asked the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) to explain why “it made a press release and did not inform the DFA first.”
“When press released first, it states the fact of alien presence in Philippine territory construable as possession—once again—until a diplomatic protest is filed. If the only news is diplomatic protest over alien presence you kill 2 birds with 1 stone: possession & claim of right,” he wrote.
The NTF-WPS reported on May 12 the presence of 287 Chinese maritime militia vessels in the area.
It added that Julian Felipe Reef and other portions of the Pagkakaisa Bank, such as the McKennan or Chigua Reef and the Grierson or Sin Cowe East Reef, are under the Municipality of Kalayaan.
READ MORE: http://152.42.253.13/ntf-wps-287-chinese-ships-spotted-in-wps-bfar-drives-away-3-in-sabina-shoal/
The Foreign Affairs secretary then ordered his department to “fire [a] diplomatic protest” following the report of the task force.
He also chided the task force: “Maybe these idiots will have learned the protocol next time. I took this up with the President in Davao. We have a disease: everybody and his uncle wants to be a hero fighting China from the anonymity of a task force,” his tweet read. -jlo
