Manalo says no instruction from Marcos yet on alleged wiretapping

Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo on Tuesday said there is no instruction yet from President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. regarding the probe into the alleged wiretapping of Chinese Embassy personnel of a conversation about the supposed “new model” deal on the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

''No, no, no... I have not received any instruction. If we find any evidence, obviously we will take whatever action considered necessary,'' Manalo said in a chance interview in Taguig City.

''It all depends what kind of action. This applies to all diplomats... Obviously we have to see whatever evidence,'' he added.

The Philippine military already dismissed China’s claims that it made an agreement with a Chinese diplomat over Ayungin Shoal, saying that transcripts and audio recordings could be fabricated.

Several government officials have also called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats that could be involved in the alleged wiretapping.

In relation to the issue, Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza earlier said diplomats should follow the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which states that "it is the duty of all persons... to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving State."

The Chinese Embassy earlier said the Armed Forces of the Philippines' Western Command (WESCOM)  made an agreement with China on the “new model” for managing the situation at the Ayungin Shoal, which was approved by the Philippine government, including the Department of National Defense (DND).

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy said that the “gentleman’s agreement” was the product of China’s commitment to properly manage maritime differences “through dialogue and consultation with the Philippines.”

Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. denied the DND was involved in any agreement with China regarding a supposed “new model” of conduct in the Ayungin Shoal.

The diplomatic row between Manila and Beijing has escalated following several tense confrontations between Chinese and Philippine Coast Guard ships since last year at Ayungin Shoal, also known by its international name Second Thomas Shoal, and in Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. Both South China Sea features are within Manila's exclusive economic zone.

China claims almost the entire South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion in annual ship commerce. Its territorial claims overlap with those of the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The Philippines has renamed parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone West Philippine Sea.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in the Hague said China's massive claim over the South China Sea has no legal basis — a decision that Beijing does not recognize. —KG, GMA Integrated News