Locsin corrects Roque, says he apologized only to Chinese FM Wang Yi

Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin on Tuesday belied Palace spokesman Harry Roque’s claim that he apologized to Beijing’s ambassador to Manila for his use of an expletive against China on Twitter, saying his apology is meant only for Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

“Hindi sa Chinese Ambassador,” Locsin tweeted in Filipino. “Trabaho nya ay tumanggap ng reklamo o insulto.”

(Not to the Chinese ambassador. His job is to receive complaints and insult.)

“To my friend Wang Yi only. Nobody else,” said Locsin, describing the Chinese official as the “most intelligent and personable diplomat in the world.”

Roque, according to Locsin, “understands my hair-trigger temper under repeated provocation.”

According to Roque, Locsin told him by phone that he personally apologized to Chinese ambassador Huan Xilian for his outburst on Twitter.

Locsin told China to "get the f_ck out" of Philippine waters after months of swarming the area despite repeated demands from Manila to pull out.

Locsin's strong remarks on Twitter came just as the Philippines lodged a new diplomatic protest against China for the belligerent actions of the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine Coast Guard vessels patrolling and conducting training exercises in the vicinity of the Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.

"China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O…GET THE FUCK OUT. What are you doing to our friendship? You. Not us. We’re trying. You. You’re like an ugly oaf forcing your attentions on a handsome guy who wants to be a friend; not to father a Chinese province," Locsin said on Monday.

The Philippines filed a series of protests against China for its refusal to order the withdrawal of Chinese vessels from the Julian Felipe Reef or Whitsun Reef in the West Philippine Sea.

Manila vowed to file diplomatic protests every day until all Chinese ships leave the area.

Around 160 Chinese vessels were spotted in Philippine waters, the Department of Foreign Affairs said, noting that their lingering presence "blatantly infringe upon Philippine sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction."

China and five other governments - Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam, and Taiwan – are embroiled in years-long disputes over the resource-rich South China Sea, particularly in its southern part, called the Spratlys.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone have been renamed the West Philippine Sea by the Philippine government. — DVM, GMA News