DFA to probe alleged illegal activities by diplomatic execs

Saying the Philippine government is a “strong advocate” of rules-based governance, the DFA said the country is “firm and united in respecting and upholding the rule of law in both the domestic and international environment”. (File Photo By Patrick Roque, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Monday said it would look into reports of illegal and unlawful activities by diplomats.

In a statement, the DFA said while foreign diplomats accredited to the Philippines are accorded the necessary liberties to conduct their duties, they are “expected to conduct their diplomatic activities with the highest standards of integrity and professionalism, in pursuit of common interests and mutually beneficial outcomes.”

Saying the Philippine government is a “strong advocate” of rules-based governance, the DFA said the country is “firm and united in respecting and upholding the rule of law in both the domestic and international environment”.

“It is in this context that the Philippines — as a responsible member of the international community of nations — has consistently called for adherence to international law, including the United Nations Charter, the Vienna Conventions governing inter-state relations, and in the maritime domain the 1982 UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea], among others,” it said.

The DFA released the statement after Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr.

and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año called on the agency to take “appropriate actions” against individuals from the Chinese Embassy in the country “for potentially violating the Anti-Wire Tapping Act and breaching diplomatic protocols and conventions.”

The Chinese Embassy has released a recording of an alleged phone call with Armed Forces of the Philippines – Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos about the “new model arrangement” on the Ayungin Shoal.

Earlier, the Chinese Embassy claimed that it had a consensus with some representatives of the current administration in addition to former President Rodrigo Duterte’s “gentleman’s agreement” with Beijing on the West Philippine Sea.