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The crew of the Chinese research ship Jia Geng that entered the waters of Catanduanes province without authorization from the Philippine government refused access to the Philippine Coast Guard allegedly due to COVID-19 protocols. PCG
MANILA, Philippines – A tweet from Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. claimed Tuesday that the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) never granted a Chinese research vessel a permit to “stay” in Philippine waters, but simply approved the Chinese Embassy’s emergency request to allow the ship to seek refuge for “humanitarian considerations.”
“DFA never gave permission for [Chinese vessel] Jia Geng. But out of humanitarian considerations, we accepted the request of the Chinese embassy for shelter against bad weather, “Locsin said in his tweet.
@inquirerdotnet @DFAPHL DFA never gave Jia Geng permission. For humanitarian reasons, DFA approved the Chinese embassy’s emergency request for shelter from bad weather. Request for refuge; no permission to stay and be watched. Period.
– Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) February 2, 2021
INQUIRER.net, along with other media organizations, previously reported that the Chinese reconnaissance ship Jia Geng that was seen operating without consent in northern Philippine waters in 2020 has been sighted again within the country’s territorial waters, this time in the east side.
Locsin’s tweet clarified the DFA’s position on the issue of Jia Geng’s stay in Catanduanes. However, the top diplomat had deleted his expletive-riddled tweet and replaced it with a new one, but omitting the part about the role of the Philippine Coast Guard.
“The Coast Guard has no authority / competence to allow it. DFA only. Don’t stay. But seek refuge. Period. P * tangina ”, read a part of the tweet now deleted from Locsin.
A screenshot of the now-deleted tweet from DFA Sec. Teddy Locsin Jr.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Commodore Armand Balilo said they were informed by the DFA on January 30 that the Chinese embassy had requested diplomatic authorization for the ship to take refuge in Catanduanes due to bad weather.
Balilo added that PCG Catanduanes closely watched the ship 24/7 and monitored its activities during its stay.
The PCG also deployed a ship to inspect the Chinese ship, but was denied access to the ship due to Covid-19 restrictions.
But Locsin said the embassy’s request was only for the ship to seek refuge and not to “stay and be watched.”
The Chinese ship entered the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines on January 25 and was seen at anchor off the coast of Bato, Catanduanes since January 28.
The ship left Cabugao Bay in the municipality of Bato on Monday. According to Balilo, an Islander plane was dispatched to monitor the ship leaving Philippine waters.
Earlier, the Chinese embassy criticized news reports calling the Chinese ship’s entry into Philippine waters as an “intrusion.”
The embassy also defended Beijing’s new coastguard law from criticism, insisting that the legislation conforms to international conventions and is not directed at any specific country.
EDV
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