DFA fires off note verbale to

By Rey E. Requejo and Vince Lopez

THE Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) summoned Beijing’s envoy Monday to protest the use of water cannons and dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said.

“Our secretary of Foreign Affairs summoned Ambassador Huang (Xilian) today and gave him a note verbale including pictures (and) video about what happened and we are awaiting their reply,” Mr. Marcos told reporters.

“The position of China, of course, is they say ‘this is ours so we are defending it’ and we, for our part, are saying ‘no, we own it so we are defending it’. So that becomes a gray area that we are discussing.”

But Beijing claimed it took “necessary controls” against Philippine boats that “illegally” entered its waters.

“Two repair ships and two coast guard ships from the Philippines illegally broke into the waters... in China’s Nansha Islands,” China Coast Guard spokesperson Gan Yu said, adding that Beijing had “implemented necessary controls in accordance with the law and