Palace: Duterte can raise any issue with China's Xi 'as friends'
MANILA, Philippines — Stressing that President Rodrigo Duterte is committed to raising the South China Sea arbitral ruling with his Chinese counterpart, Malacañang said the president can raise any issue with Beijing.
Duterte will be making his fifth visit to China this week, where he is expected to invoke the arbitral ruling with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"According to the Chinese government, we are supposed to be friends so any issue can be raised there as friends," presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo told CNN Philippines' "The Source" Monday morning.
Panelo reiterated that now is the appropriate time to raise the arbitral ruling with China as Duterte has come halfway to his term.
Beijing has been refusing to acknowledge the landmark ruling of the United Nations-backed tribunal that invalidated its historic nine-dash line claim over the South China Sea, including the West Philippine Sea.
READ: Beijing's position on South China Sea arbitration remains unchanged — Chinese envoy
The arbitral ruling, the Recto Bank collision and the proposed joint oil and gas exploration in the West Philippine Sea are the top three issues that Duterte would probably raise in his forthcoming meeting with Xi, according to Panelo.
UNCLOS allows 'innocent passage'
On the issue of Chinese warships entering Philippine exclusive economic zone in the past months, the Malacañang mouthpiece said innocent passage was allowed under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.
"Ang problema d'yan sa provision na 'yan pumapasok sa territorial waters natin, dapat malaman natin," Panelo said.
He further clarified that foreign warships should not necessarily ask for permission to pass through Philippine waters but they need to inform the country that they will be entering.
"Meron na tayo diplomatic protest doon so ang bola nasa kanila, nasa Chinese government," Panelo said.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. earlier announced that the Department of Foreign Affairs will be firing off a diplomatic protest following the remarks of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Lorenzana said the government should ask the Chinese Embassy why Chinese research vessels and warhsips have been entering the country's EEZ.
China's Xi might also raise the involvement of Chinese nationals in Philippine offhsore gaming operations (POGOs).
"They are running after the operators kasi daw 'yung mga... online gaming operation and talagang target 'yung mga Chinese nationals. At the same time, baka daw nila-laundry 'yung pera kaya very concerned sila doon," Panelo said.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila earlier released a statement claiming that Chinese nationals illegally working in POGOs have been subject to "modern slavery."
Malacañang, on the other hand, suggested that Chinese workers have experienced abuses in the country file a formal complaint.
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