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PH won’t speculate on China missile test: Esperon
President Rodrigo R. Duterte with National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr.
(R) (PNA File Photo)
MANILA — National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. said on Wednesday that the Philippine government will not speculate on the repercussions in the Philippine-China relations if the alleged Chinese missile launch in the South China Sea is validated.
“It’s a serious matter but we will not speculate on what would be the result,” Esperon said in an interview with reporters in Makati City.
“We will not speculate. Baka ang implication niyan hindi sa atin, baka sa (The implication of that might not be for us but for the) US. So why don’t they come out with the report and bring it out in the open with all the facts,” he added.
Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. also issued the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA) position on the issue.
“The DFA relies only on official military intelligence; we despise civilian sources; we work hand in glove with the armed forces because war is conduct of diplomacy by other means as diplomacy can be the conduct of war with a measure of finesse,” he said on his official Twitter account on Thursday.
In an earlier briefing, US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim reiterated America’s position in the hotly-contested waters, urging all claimant parties to “refrain from provocative and unilateral actions that are inconsistent with international norms and practices.
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A Reuters report dated July 3 quoted an anonymous source, saying China has recently tested multiple anti-ship ballistic missiles in the South China Sea, an act described by the Pentagon as “disturbing”.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry referred the matter to its defense ministry when asked to confirm the veracity of the report.
