Roque on his work relation with DFA's Locsin: We're fine

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Wednesday that his work relation with Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. is just "fine," after he was called out by the top diplomat over his remarks on the Julian Felipe Reef.

Roque responded to Locsin’s comments that only the Foreign Affairs Chief speaks for President Rodrigo Duterte on the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the West Philippine Sea.

"This is my last warning. When it comes to foreign affairs the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has the exclusive remit," Locsin said.

But Roque said,“We talked this morning (Wednesday) and we’re fine.” 

Last Tuesday, Roque said that Julian Felipe Reef is outside of the Philippine EEZ, which is contrary to the position of the DFA that it is located 175 nautical miles off Bataraza, Palawan.

Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), of which the Philippines and China are signatories, islands and waters located 200 nautical miles from the territorial baselines of a coastal country is within its EEZ.

Later on Tuesday, Roque retracted his statement on Julian Felipe Reef, saying that the Philippines is never giving up its claim on it as it is part of the country’s EEZ.

“It is in our country's interest to continuously pursue our claim through diplomacy or in the future, by submitting it to the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice,” Roque added.

A day after Roque said Julian Felipe Reef is outside Philippine EEZ, the National Task Force on West Philippine Sea reported -- based on its May 9 patrol rounds -- spotting 287 Chinese militia vessels scattered over various features around Palawan's Kalayaan island town.

Through its 2016 ruling favoring the Philippines, The Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration invalidated China's  massive claim of sovereignty over nearly the entire South China Sea.

Also, the arbitral court ruling -- which stemmed from a case filed by the Philippines against China -- ruled that the Spratly Islands' Panganiban (Mischief) Reef, Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, and Recto (Reed) Bank are within the Philippines' EEZ.  —LBG, GMA News