DFA sends second note verbale to China following Pag-asa Island incident

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has sent a second note verbale (NV) to the Chinese Embassy in Manila following the Pag-asa Island incident.

Last November, a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) ship forcefully retrieved rocket debris on the coasts of Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine sea (WPS), prompting the government to send the first note verbale or an unsigned diplomatic protest.

“After the NV sent in November, another NV protesting the incident of 20 November 2022 was sent to the Chinese Embassy in Manila. The protest note was dated 12 December 2022,” said DFA spokesperson Teresita Daza.

This statement from the DFA comes after senators on Wednesday reiterated the need to defend Philippine sovereignty following the incident in the WPS.

“My fellow citizens, we will not agree, we should not agree to this. We will wholeheartedly stand firm with pride. The Philippines is ours. We should fight for it,” Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. said in Filipino.

Senator Loren Legarda also suggested passing a resolution expressing the stance of the Senate about China’s intrusion into the country’s territory. She also proposed for government entities like the Bureau of fisheries and aquatic resources and the Department of education to establish their presence in WPS islands.

“The Department appreciates the clarity with which the Senate has expressed its views on a wide scope of issues on the WPS. Specific to the rocket debris retrieval operations of the Philippine Navy, the DFA has undertaken appropriate diplomatic action to protest and make known our views on the illegal actions of the CCG on 20 November 2022,” the DFA said in a statement.

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