The Philippines and China could thresh out any issue given its close friendship, Malacañang declared Monday following the reported presence of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
Presidential spokesman Harry Roque expressed confidence that the latest maritime incident would not escalate into another standoff, citing the friendly ties between the two neighbors.
"I don’t think so po dahil mayroon po tayong malapit na pagkakaibigan (because we have a close friendship)," he said during a virtual press briefing Monday, March 22 when asked if the presence of the Chinese ships could lead to a repeat of the Scarborough Shoal standoff in 2012.
"Lahat naman po ay napag-uusapan sa panig ng mga magkakaibigan at magkapitbahay (Friends and neighbors can talk through everything)," he added.
So far, Roque said the Department of Foreign Affairs has filed a protest after National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. confirmed the presence of the foreign ships in local waters. "Hinahayaan ko muna po sa kanila dahil nakatutok po muna tayo dito sa COVID (I'd would defer to them because we are focused on the COVID response)," he added.
In a statement late Saturday, March 20, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea said the coast guard authorities reported 220 Chinese fishing vessels were spotted "moored in line formation" at the Julian Felipe Reef, located within the country's exclusive economic zone and continental shelf, on March 7.
The vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel, were seen by authorities on March 7.
“The NTF-WPS notes this circumstance as a concern due to the possible overfishing and destruction of the marine environment, as well as risks to safety of navigation,” the task force said in a statement.
On Monday, the Chinese Embassy in Manila issued a statement denying the vessels were manned by maritime militia, saying the fishing boats were merely taking shelter due to rough sea condition. It also insisted that the Julian Felipe Reef was part of China’s Nansha Qundao territory.