The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest against China after the forcible taking by the Chinese coast guard of a rocket debris from the Philippine Navy in the West Philippine Sea, an incident that earned the "disgust" of the country's lawmakers.
Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said Friday that the country filed the protest note that was dated December 12.
This was on top of the note verbale the country already sent to China, through its embassy in Manila, after the incident to seek for its explanation.
The protest was filed after a video taken during the incident proved the Armed Forces of the Philippines' (AFP) report that the Chinese coast guard forcibly took a rocket wreckage from the Philippine Navy, which the latter retrieved in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on November 20.
The video was played by Senator Francis Tolentino during his privilege speech in the Senate, which prompted Senate President Migz Zubiri and Sen. Joel Villanueva to file a resolution expressing "disgust" over the incident.
China, through a statement released by its embassy in Manila, earlier denied the report by saying its coast guard took the object after a "friendly consultation."
It also claimed that AFP’s reports "are irrelevant with facts," which was eventually contradicted by the said video.
"The Department appreciates the clarity with which the Senate has expressed its views on a wide scope of issues on the WPS," Daza said.
"Specific to the rocket debris retrieval operations of the Philippine Navy, the DFA has undertaken appropriate diplomatic action to protest and make known our views on the illegal actions of the CCG on 20 November 2022," she added.