Palace says PH issued diplomatic protest vs China over Pag-asa island issue

Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Secretary Salvador Panelo holds a press briefing for the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC) at the New Executive Building (NEB) in Malacañang on April 1, 2019. (Screenshot from Presidential Communications (Government of the Philippines)/Facebook video)

The Philippine government through the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) filed a diplomatic protest against China over the reported 200-plus Chinese vessels present near Pag-asa island.

This was confirmed in a press briefing by Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo on Monday, April 1.

“I understand [that] we have already issued a diplomatic protest – [as] per the Western Command – the DFA has already made the diplomatic protest,” he said, citing the information from the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP’s) Western Mindanao Command.

“Anything that concerns the security of the Philippines will always be a concern,” he added.

Panelo said that he has no idea on when the protest was filed by the Foreign Affairs department, but that he will raise this issue to the Chinese Ambassador today.

“Kasi (Because) the mere fact that they’re there and just stay for a week , bakit, ano ginagawa niyo dun (why, what are you doing there?)” he said, then continued, “We will ask if this is true as far as they’re concerned and number two, if it is true, what are they doing there? Number three, we will politely ask them not to do what they’re doing.

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In the briefing, the spokesperson also called out the report of a television station, stating that the vessels were over 600.

“The reporter made an exaggerated report by distorting the total number of Chinese fishing vessels monitoring in Pag-asa Island. She also used alarming statement such as Chinese vessels have been encircling Pagasa Island, which was never mentioned in the briefing presentation,” Panelo read from a conversation with Western Mindanao Command’s Vice Admiral Rene Medina, as forwarded to him by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

Panelo further explained that the 617 figure reported, was only 275, and that the vessels were not “encircling” but were on “standby” as per the information by AFP’s Western command.

He then said that the this total was observed from the first quarter of 2019 – from January to March.

BFAR’s statement

Over the weekend, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) issued a statement, advising Filipino fishermen to ‘stay away’ from Panatag shoal for the meantime.

[READ: BFAR tells Pinoy fishermen to stay away from Panatag shoal ‘for the meantime’]

“Refrain muna natin na pumunta doon (Refrain from going there), for the meantime, and concentrate on our municipal waters kasi ‘yun nga ang pinangingisdaan natin (because those are our fishing ground),” BFAR National Director Eduardo Gongona told Super Radyo dzBB.

Asked for Malacañang’s side, Panelo said, “Eh ‘di kung ‘yan ang feeling nila eh, siguro wala naming masamang sundin natin (If that is what they feel, maybe there is nothing wrong to follow).”

The spokesperson admitted that he has not received a report on BFAR’s statement but he will verify the details with the bureau.

For the Palace’s part, it advised the Filipino fishermen to continue “kung ano ang dati nilang ginagawa. Kung dati naman nilang ginagawa at wala naming nang-iistorbo sa kanila (whatever they are usually doing. If they have been doing it even before and no one is disturbing them).

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Panelo then maintained the government’s stand that if Filipino fishermen are indeed being harassed by the Chinese, they will “make the necessary protest.”

He, however, said that as of now, they still need to verify because “these people may not be within the knowledge of the Chinese government. ‘Di rin natin alam kung ‘yun eh kasama nila o inutusan nila; part of their group (We do not really know if these people are part of them or if they ordered this part; or they are part of their group).