MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Wednesday revealed that the Philippine government has filed “more or less 60” diplomatic protests against China since the start of the Duterte administration.
He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has filed 24 notes verbale against China since he assumed his post as Secretary in 2018, and 39 more during the term of now Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano as foreign affairs chief.
Locsin also said DFA has filed diplomatic protests at every Chinese incursion in the West Philippine Sea.
“Even if I believe that filing a diplomatic protest is like throwing a paper at a brick wall, I do it. I do it because the experts say just keep doing it,” Locsin said during the House budget hearing on DFA’s 2020 budget.
“Because that way, nobody can say that we have given up on what we believe are our rights. We have filed diplomatic protests at every turn,” he added.
He also said he has “changed the language” of the protests “from the usual diplomatic niceties to direct protests.”
“No nice words anymore, just objective ones,” Locsin said.
Last August 19, Locsin ordered the filing of protest over latest reports of unannounced transit of five Chinese warships in Sibutu Strait since July.
READ: DFA chief: File diplomatic protest over Chinese warships’ intrusion
He also had said that “fired off” a diplomatic protest against China last June after a Chinese vessel allegedly rammed a Filipino fishing boat at Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Locsin fires off diplomatic protest after ‘collision’ of Chinese, PH vessels
/kga