MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Thursday reiterated that China is taking the country’s giant clams from Scarborough Shoal without any payment.
Locsin made the statement after a netizen asked him if the Philippines is selling protected marine species as a form of business, noting that the giant clams in the Scarborough Shoal are vulnerable to extinction.
“Nope, we’re not selling them; they’re taking them without paying us,” Locsin said in a tweet.
Nope, we're not selling them; they're taking them without paying us. https://t.co/XnX5l0NJZS
— Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 18, 2019
This is not the first time Locsin demaqnded payment from China for the harvesting of giant clams from Scarborough Shoal, which the Philippines claims to be part of its territory.
On Tuesday, Locsin said that China must pay for the clams just “like in fish market.”
Locsin, however, insisted that he would not go to war over giant clams.
“I am not going down in history as a clam defender, okay? It’s a complaint; we’re looking into it; but these are just f****** food; no one goes to war for clams (maybe Oysters of Locquemariaquer) but they just happen to be OUR food,” Locsin said in another tweet.
https://twitter.com/teddyboylocsin/status/1118164876642275329
When another netizen noted that Locsin should take action as a diplomat, the foreign affairs secretary said in jest, “WE protested but I refused to get into scuba gear and wrap my arms around clams. By the way, I hate clams.”
https://twitter.com/teddyboylocsin/status/1118872271441936386
Locsin has previously said that the government would be taking “legal action” against China’s actions. /gsg