DFA's Locsin not keen on protesting incident between Chinese Coast Guard and Reporter's Notebook team in Panatag

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. seems not keen on filing a diplomatic protest against China following the incident between a Reporter's Notebook documentary team by Chinese authorities at Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

Interviewed on Unang Balita on Tuesday, Locsin said  filing a diplomatic protest "is like throwing paper against a brick wall."

"Well, in the United Nations, there were diplomatic protests filed by [former DFA secretary Alan Peter] Cayetano. There were seven I think... I have a different view. My view is that a diplomatic protest is like throwing paper against a brick wall," he said.

Locsin said filing a diplomatic protest would only give the impression to the international community that China is "immovable" and the Philippines is "weak."

"What does that prove? That proves that they possess... what is happening is every time you try it and there's no reaction, the impression is created in the world na immovable talaga ang China at ang Philippines weak talaga," he said.

Lawmakers have urged the government to file a diplomatic protest after China Coast Guard personnel prevented a team from Reporter's  Notebook from filming a documentary at Panatag Shoal. Opposition Senator Antonio Trillanes IV even condemned China for its "acts of aggression."

Acknowledging that Panatag is part of the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, Locsin pointed out that what the news crew was about to do in the area could hardly be considered an economic activity.

"When I was told about that, they were invoking exclusive economic zone. It is part of an exclusive economic zone. Ang keyword diyan economic ha, 'yung kumukuha ka ng video, economic ba 'yan? Wala 'di ba?" he said.

"Okay... I don't know, so we will leave it. All I know is exclusive economic zone..." Locsin added.

The DFA chief, however, said journalists should not be prevented from going to Panatag Shoal to do their job.

Locsin said if the incident would happen again, he might agree to the previous deal he had rejected regarding the coordination between the Philippines and China in patrolling the area.

"Don't prevent, please keep sending them there and then that will also convince me if it happens again... that the agreement I rejected perhaps I should agree to it, a tight coordination between the two Coast Guard to patrol the area," Locsin said.

"Maybe I was wrong and I can go back to China and have it signed," he added.

Asked on whether he and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi talked about China's reported building of structures in Panatag Shoal, Locsin said they did not.

"That was not discussed. My long conversation with Wang Yi had to do with the Belt and Road [Initiative]," Locsin said.

Jun Veneracion, one of the hosts of Reporter's Notebook, said China Coast Guard told them that without securing a permit from China, his team cannot take photos or videos and conduct interviews in the shoal. He said the Chinese told them they were in the "sea area of the People’s Republic of China.”

Veneracion's team was supposed to make a follow-up documentary on the situation of fishermen who were harassed by China Coast Guard early this year in which the latter forcibly took the Filipinos' catch in exchange for noodles.

Presidential spokesman Salvador Panelo has advised GMA Network to file a complaint before the government so that the Department of Foreign Affairs can write a letter to China to establish whether or not there is a policy on making documentaries in the resource-rich shoal. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KBK/RSJ, GMA News