China’s plan to draw straight baselines around the Spratly Islands and declare much of South China Sea as part of its internal water closed to foreign planes and ships would further escalate tensions in the region, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative (AMTI).

The Philippine government can only do so much as protest China's actions in the West Philippine Sea as Beijing has control over the area, Malacañang said Monday.

"They have to show proof that is being done now again because if it's being done, certainly we will protest."

A fisherfolk group on Monday appealed to the government to protest China's blockade of Scarborough or Panatag Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

Amid the global controversy surrounding Huawei and the government’s perceived inaction over the concerns raised, the question beckons: Is the national security threat posed by Huawei credible? And if yes, what are its implications to the country’s national security and sovereignty?