Marcos names ex-DFA chief Locsin as special envoy to China for special concerns

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has appointed former Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teodoro "Teddy Boy" Locsin Jr. as Special Envoy of the President to the People's Republic of China for Special Concerns.

This was announced by the Presidential Communications Office on Wednesday.

Earlier, Marcos designated Locsin as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 

PCO Secretary Cheloy Garafil said Locsin would serve in a concurrent capacity.

She said Locsin was appointed "to boost bilateral relations between the two countries."

Locsin's appointment came after the recent incident in Ayungin Shoal where the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) had performed dangerous maneuvers and illegally used water cannons against Philippine vessels that were on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre.

A note verbale was lodged following the incident.

China has since claimed that the Philippine government had promised to remove the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal, which Beijing calls Ren’ai Jiao.

However, Marcos denied that the Philippine government made such a promise to China. He also said he was rescinding it if there was ever such an agreement.

"I'm not aware of any such arrangement or agreement that the Philippines will remove from its own territory its ship, in this case, the BRP Sierra Madre from the Ayungin Shoal," Marcos said in a video message last week.

"And let me go further, if there does exist such an agreement, I rescind that agreement now," he added. 

Deliberate

Former Senator Orlando Mercado, a former secretary of national defense, said BRP Sierra Madre was deliberately run aground at the Ayungin Shoal to serve as an outpost in the West Philippine Sea.

The plan was approved by then President Joseph Estrada in the wake of the Chinese occupying the nearby Mischief Reef.

"Ang plano dun isasadsad natin intentionally but at the same time, magiging outpost 'yun. 'Yung outpost na 'yun ay mame-maintain. Ire-resupply natin, 'yung mga tao bibigyan natin ng pagkain at saka services," Mercado said.

(The plan is to ground it intentionally but at the same time, it will serve as an outpost. The outpost will be maintained and the troops stationed there will be given provisions and services.)

A US maritime security expert, meanwhile, said that 21 Chinese maritime militia ships were spotted heading towards Pag-asa Island in the West Philippine Sea. 

Former US Air Force official and ex-Defense attaché Ray Powell said the PCG BRP Cabra found itself in the midst of a redeployment of the Chinese vessels traveling northwards to Pag-asa Island. — RSJ/VBL, GMA Integrated News