Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Enrique Manalo and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed anew to a bilateral consultation mechanism over the issue of the West Philippine Sea.
This was confirmed by Manalo when he faced yesterday’s hearing of the Senate committee on foreign relations chaired by Sen. Imee Marcos.
But Manalo did not give any exact date for the resumption of bilateral consultation which was stopped for two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 388 diplomatic protests were filed by the Philippines against China during the time of former President Rodrigo Duterte and 48 others during the present administration.
Manalo also told the Senate panel that two protests were also filed by the Philippines against Vietnam.
But Marcos explicitly commented that nothing came out of our protests. “The protests- we were merely mocking them. What do you think?” she asked.
She pointed out there is no practical observation from the outside.
“First thing, it is a shame when you are being ignored. It appeared you are being ignored. You’re like an insane who kept on writing andwriting (protests),” Marcos said.
But Manalo stressed that notes verbal or protest notes are a standard approach used by the government.
“Everytime there’s an incident, it puts a country on concern on notice. Normally they respond to us,” Manalo said.
However, he said the point is to put them on notice. In addition to notes, he said the government have ways to supplement these notes.
“We summon their officials. They also summon us in Beijing. We have regular meetings with China,” he said.
In the bilateral meetings, he said the government usually brings up the said protest notes
Meanwhile, Marcos also said there were shortcomings in what the task force on WPS has been doing.
She proposed that country that has a claim or protest should have a Code of Conduct. This will delve on the policies to be followed. Manalo said the DFA can relay this to their counterparts- countries.