Diplomatic protest planned against Beijing as President Duterte calls for regional guidelines to resolve sea disputes.
The Philippines plans to file a “strong” protest against China after it announced preparatory work for an environmental monitoring station on a shoal in the South China Sea, as President Rodrigo Duterte called for regional guidelines governing the disputed area.
Justice Minister Vitaliano Aguirre told reporters in Manila on Tuesday the government would file a complaint against Beijing’s plan to construct a radar station on Scarborough Shoal.
“The case which will be filed is fairly strong I think,” Aguirre said.
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Aguirre said the Philippines would also renew its strong ties with the US in the face of China’s aggressive action in the shoal, which is 229km from the Philippine island of Luzon.
“As a matter of fact, we’re strengthening the relationship with the United States,” he told reporters.
Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella also said in a statement that the country would take necessary action to defend and protect its sovereignty and entitlements in the disputed maritime borders.
“President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly asserted that the Philippines is not giving up its claims and our entitlements over the area,” he said.
The news comes as Duterte urged Southeast Asian leaders to complete rules on the South China Sea, “to maintain the peace and stability in the region”.
