Cayetano on China militarization: Want me to file a protest based on a picture?

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano on Monday hit back on calls urging the Philippine government to file a protest over the alleged Chinese incursions in the West Philippine Sea.

"Alam mo may ma-publish lang sa diyaryo, file a protest. Kayo ang tatanungin ko, is it smart for me to file a protest based on an American think tank picture or based on a frontpage ng isang diyaryo?" Cayetano said in a report by Ian Cruz on State of the Nation with Jessica Soho.

"For those who keep saying, 'file a protest, file a protest,' ano ba ang ibig naming sabihin noong sinabi naming, 'we are taking all diplomatic actions?' At the right time, we will prove you wrong," Cayetano stressed.

This came after the continued militarization in the West Philippine Sea as reported by the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI).

China's Air Force also announced that it had landed a bomber on its largest base in the South China Sea, located on Woody Island in the Paracel group.

The US think tank previously reported about the possible role of Woody Island in China's "eventual" military deployments in the Spratlys.

When asked about the bomber plane, Cayetano said that was about the dispute between Vietnam and China.

"You can say, 'But Sir baka umabot sa atin.' Beijing is 3,000 kilometers away from the Philippines, Hainan is 1,200 kilometers from the Philippines," Cayetano said.

"If they want to attack us, they don't need those weapons on those islands because they have weapons all over China in their bases that can reach the Philippines," he added.

Earlier, Magdalo party-list Representative Gary Alejano called for the resignation of Cayetano, noting the latter's supposed inaction over the issue.

Last week, the Department of Foreign Affairs made remarks that it would continue to monitor Chinese activities in the West Philippine Sea.

The Duterte administration has maintained that Philippines could not afford to go to war with China to assert its claims in the contested region as it will probably result in great destruction and losses for the military.

President Rodrigo Duterte chose to maintain warm ties with the country as he also believes that China can be the Philippines' partner in its economic projects.  — Anna Felicia Bajo/BAP, GMA News