Palace concerned over Chinese warships in Sibutu Strait

Malacañang on Thursday expressed its concern over the military's report that five more Chinese warships sailed in Philippine waters without informing Manila, saying it was not “an act of friendship.”

“We express concern with that kind of incident because they keep on saying that we’re friends. I don't think that this is an act of friendship,” presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo said at a news conference.

Panelo said the actions of the Chinese warships may be a violation of the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which only allows innocent passage of ships through the territorial sea of a coastal state provided that it will be “continuous and expeditious.”

The Philippines requires foreign navies to inform the presence of their warships in territorial waters.

Panelo assured the public that the Department of Foreign Affairs “will do something” about the incidents which may include the filing of a diplomatic protest.

“We will call their attention. The Chinese Ambassador has invited me for dinner in one of these days. Maybe I will raise that to him,” he said.

He also said it was up to President Rodrigo Duterte whether to raise the matter with Chinese President Xi Jinping in their meeting later this month in China.

Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Mindanao Command, said on Wednesday that two Chinese warships were spotted in Sibutu Strait near Tawi-Tawi in July while three were monitored in August.

Previously, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Chinese warships had passed through Sibutu Strait four times since February.

Sobejana described the Chinese vessels as armed and their passage through the strait not innocent.

“Ang innocent passage kasi following the sea lanes of communications, straight line. Pagka medyo nag-korba ka, that is no longer considered as innocent passage,” he said.

Lorenzana earlier said he had talked to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua about the passage of Beijing’s warships in the Sibutu Strait.

The Defense chief said the ambassador told him that he would direct ships that wanted to pass through the Sibutu Strait to inform Philippine authorities. —KBK, GMA News