NextGen Day

MANILA, Philippines — According to Malacanang, President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will “always” uphold the Philippine national interest.

Despite the Philippines’ close connections with China, Duterte’s attitude, according to acting presidential spokesperson and Communications Secretary Martin Andanar, would always be to defend the country’s sovereignty and territory.

“While engaged in diplomacy with China, the President will always preserve our territory and uphold our national interest,” he stated at a press conference at the White House.

Andanar made the remark after a People’s Liberation Army-Navy “illegally” entered the Philippine seas without permission from January 29 to February 1 of this year.

The vessel was witnessing a joint drill between the Philippine and US navies in the Sulu Sea, according to Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.

The area where the Chinese vessel was seen lingering was in the Sulu Sea, not international waters, according to Lorenzana.

Foreign vessels are only permitted to sail through the area in a lawful manner, he noted.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has lodged a diplomatic protest over the event, according to Andanar.

“The Department of Foreign Affairs has judged that these actions violate national sovereignty, and necessary diplomatic action has been taken,” he stated.

He also stated that the DFA summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian in response to the vessel’s invasion of the Sulu Sea, urging China to respect Philippine territorial and maritime sovereignty.

“The Chinese Ambassador was summoned by the DFA to submit a diplomatic protest on this occurrence,” he added.

Duterte told Huang Xilian during the commissioning of the Binondo-Intramuros bridge on Tuesday that Manila and Beijing “do not have any disagreement.”

He also stated that the Philippines and China might talk about their territorial disputes as well as the Filipinos’ fishing rights in the disputed waters.

“We may talk about the Spratly Islands and, most likely, my countrymen’s fishing rights, plain conversation, nothing else.” Our people will be able to benefit from economic growth and increased productivity as a result of this,” he said.

On April 8, Duterte will have a virtual meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

In light of a probable spillover of the crisis between Russia and Ukraine to Asia, particularly the Philippines and China, Xi launched a dialogue with Duterte.

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