PH top diplomat: Fire diplomatic protest over Chinese warship

@DFAPHL @ASPAC fire diplomatic protest over Chinese warship; drop the diplomatic crap; say it is ours period; they’re trespassing. If we did it already fire another. We won’t run out. & don’t wait for formal intel. This is the Secretary of National Defense no less. Fire at will.

— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) August 19, 2019

The Philippines through Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin, Jr. ordered the filing of a diplomatic protest against China over the passage of five Chinese warships in Sibutu Strait.

In Locsin’s tweet on Monday, August 19, the top diplomat tagged the official Twitter accounts of DFA and its Office of Asia and Pacific Affairs (DFA ASPAC) and wrote, “fire diplomatic protest over Chinese warship.

He continued, “Say it is ours period; they’re trespassing.”

The Foreign Affairs secretary also said that if the Philippines has already filed one, it should “fire another” as “we won’t run out” of diplomatic protests.

“Don’t wait for formal intel. This is the Secretary of National Defense no less. Fire at will,” he added.

Some of China’s warships have been passing the waters of Tawi-Tawi unauthorized since June 2019 as per reports from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Last week, Malacañang has expressed “concern” on the developments saying that the passage without prior clearance is not “an act of friendship,” as the administration claimed the friendship of the two nations.

Locsin’s order is the second diplomatic protest filed in relation to the Chinese warships’ presence in the Philippines exclusive economic zone (EEZ). However, it can also be remembered that the government filed more diplomatic protests against Beijing over other developments this year, including the collision incident in Recto bank in June and the presence of 200-plus Chinese vessels near Pag-asa Island in April.