DFA tells diplomats to respect the law

Department of Foreign Affairs

DIPLOMATS should respect the laws and not interfere in the internal affairs of their host country, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said May 9, after the Chinese Embassy released a transcript of a supposed phone conversation between a Chinese diplomat and a ranking Filipino military officer.

The embassy said the recording showed that Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos agreed to a “new model” for managing the dispute over Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

In a statement on Thursday, the DFA cautioned the public “against falling for false narratives.”

Amid the brouhaha over the audio recording, a report said a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel has been dispatched to Rozul (Iroquois) Reef, 125 nautical miles off Palawan within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, possibly to oppose a Philippine Coast Guard ship patrolling the area for the last two days.

Based on satellite monitoring by Sealight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, CCG 4202 was sent on May 8 to “confront” BRP Cabra at Rozul Reef at the southwest corner of Reed Bank.

“I hope to get a satellite picture of the BRP Cabra and China Coast Guard 4202 from [May 8] in a couple of days,” retired US Air Force colonel Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, told The Manila Times.

“They were definitely there together. The Cabra has gone AIS-dark so I don’t know if it’s still there now,” he added.

Vienna Convention

Responding to the latest Chinese embassy actions, the DFA said diplomats should strictly adhere to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, particularly Article 41 which states that “…it is the duty of all persons to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state.”

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday slammed the Chinese Embassy for violating the Anti-Wiretapping Law or Republic Act 4200, a day after it released the audio recording.

“Resorting to tactics such as releasing unverifiable recordings of supposed conversations with Philippine officials could demonstrate efforts to sow discord and confusion among Philippine agencies and the Filipino public,” the DFA said.

Li Jian, China Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the Philippines “hurts its own credibility and puts peace and stability in the South China Sea in jeopardy” when it denied the phone conversation between the Chinese diplomat in Manila and Carlos.

“The facts are clear and backed by hard evidence that cannot be denied. The Philippines has insisted on denying these objective facts and seeks to mislead the international community,” Li said in a press briefing on Wednesday.

The Chinese Embassy in Manila shared the transcript of Li’s press conference.

“China urged the Philippines to honor its commitment, stop maritime infringement and provocation at once, and return to the right track of properly handling disputes with China through dialogue and consultation,” Li said.

Carlos was on leave on the day the audio recording was released, and it could not be determined if it was his voice on the tape.

The DFA on May 7 said “no Cabinet-level” official of the Marcos administration has agreed to any Chinese proposal pertaining to the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA said “only the President of the Republic of the Philippines can approve or authorize agreements entered into by the Philippine government on matters pertaining to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.”