Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. refuted Palace Spokesperson Harry Roque’s statement that the former apologized to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian over his cuss remarks about China’s “illegal” activities in the West Philippine Sea.
STATEMENT
In a press briefing on May 4, Roque said Locsin’s impassioned tweets against China does not reflect the policy of the Philippines, and that the Foreign Affairs secretary was only expressing his “personal opinion” in the exercise of his right to “freedom of speech.”
Later on in the briefing, the spokesman said:
“I was told by Secretary Locsin that he has personally apologized to the Chinese ambassador in my telephone conversation with him this morning.”
Source: Presidential Communications Operations Office, Press Briefing of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (archived), May 4, 2021, watch from 37:47 to 38:10
He added that Locsin apologized “on his own” and was not instructed by President Rodrigo Duterte to do so.
In a tweet on May 3, Locsin told China to “get the fuck out” of Philippine-claimed waters in view of the government’s protest over the “belligerent actions” of the Chinese coast guard against the Philippine coast guard in Bajo de Masinloc (international name: Scarborough Shoal), as well as the continuing “unauthorized” presence of Chinese vessels in other areas within the West Philippine Sea.
FACT
Contrary to Roque’s claim, Locsin said he apologized only to his “friend” and counterpart, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and “nobody else.”
Just two hours after Roque made the statement during his midday media presser, Locsin retweeted CNN Philippines’ Twitter thread, saying:
“Hindi sa Chinese ambassador. Trabaho niya ay tumanggap ng reklamo o insulto. Kay State Counselor Foreign Minister Wang Yi, ang pinakamatalino at personableng diplomat sa buong mundo (Not to the Chinese ambassador. It’s his job to receive complaints and insults. [I apologized] to State Counselor Foreign Minister Wang Yi, the brightest and personable diplomat in the world). Harry understands my hair-trigger temper under repeated provocation.”
In another tweet that same day, Locsin said: “I won’t plead the last provocation as an excuse for losing it; but if Wang Yi is following Twitter then I’m sorry for hurting his feelings but his alone.”
In the same May 4 presser, Roque said the president “instructed” him to tell other members of the Cabinet that he does not approve of the use of profanities.
“Sabihin mo nga sa ibang Cabinet na ako lang ang pwedeng magmura; wala nang ibang magmumura lalo na pagdating sa diplomasya (I’m the only one allowed to curse; no one else can use profanities, particularly when it comes to diplomacy),” added Roque, quoting Duterte.
Meanwhile, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a Q&A; in which Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin was quoted to have asserted that Scarborough Shoal (which China refers to as Huangyan Island) “is China’s territory and its adjacent waters are under China’s jurisdiction.” He urged Philippine officials to “earnestly respect China’s sovereignty and jurisdiction” and to “stop taking actions” that could complicate the situation in the disputed territories.
Without directly referring to Locsin’s public tweets against China’s presence within the disputed areas, Wang warned that “megaphone diplomacy” can undermine mutual trust between the two governments.
At the same time, he said China hopes that “a certain individual from the Philippine side will mind basic manners and act in ways that suit his status,” apparently referring to Locsin.
In response, Locsin, in a tweet, said that while China is “free to say whatever it wants,” he would insist that the “entirety of the West Philippine Sea and Scarborough Shoal belongs to the Philippines not by mere claim but by absolute right and legal victory.”
In its July 2016 ruling on the South China Sea dispute between the two countries, the Permanent Court of Arbitration did not ascertain which state has sovereignty over Scarborough Shoal — a “rock” by legal definition under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea — but noted it as traditional fishing grounds, to which both Chinese and Filipino fisherfolk should have access. (See VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Malacañang backtracks on Duterte’s ‘verbal fishing deal’ with China)
However, the Hague-based tribunal found, among others, that China “had violated its duty to respect the traditional fishing rights of Philippine fishermen by halting access” to the shoal after May 2012. (See VERA FILES FACT CHECK: Three things Duterte got wrong in the PH-China maritime standoff)
Sources
Presidential Communications Operations Office, Press Briefing of Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque (archived)
PTV YouTube, WATCH: Press briefing with Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque, May 4, 2021 (archived)
Teodoro Locsin Jr. official Twitter, China, my friend, how politely can I put it? Let me see… O… GET THE FUCK OUT, May 3, 2021 (archived)
Department of Foreign Affairs Philippines official Facebook, Statement on the Illegal Presence of the Chinese Coast Guard in Bajo de Masinloc and their belligerent actions against the Philippine Coast Guard, May 3, 2021 (archived, pg 1 and 2)
Official Gazette of the Philippines, Administrative Order No. 29 s. 2012: Naming the West Philippine Sea of the Republic of the Philippines, Sept. 5, 2012 (archived)
Teodoro Locsin Jr. official Twitter, To my friend Wang Yi only. Nobody else. May 4, 2021 (archived)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, The Minister: Wang Yi (archived)
Teodoro Locsin Jr. official Twitter, Hindi sa Chinese ambassador. Trabaho niya ay tumanggap ng reklamo o insulto. Kay State Counselor Foreign Minister Wang Yi… May 4, 2021 (archived)
Teodoro Locsin Jr. official Twitter, I won’t plead the last provocation as an excuse for losing it May 4, 2021 (archived)
Chinese Embassy Manila official Facebook, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin’s Remarks on China-related Remarks by Philippine High-level Official, May 4, 2021 (archived)
Teodoro Locsin Jr. official Twitter, I don’t deny China’s claim; it is free to say whatever it wants; but I do insist that the entirety of the West Philippine Sea … May 4, 2021 (archived)
Permanent Court of Arbitration, PCA Case No. 2013-19: The South China Sea Arbitration (The Republic of Philippines v. The People’s Republic of China) Award, July 12, 2016
United Nations, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
Permanent Court of Arbitration, Press Release: The South China Sea Arbitration, July 12, 2016
(Guided by the code of principles of the International Fact-Checking Network at Poynter, VERA Files tracks the false claims, flip-flops, misleading statements of public officials and figures, and debunks them with factual evidence. Find out more about this initiative and our methodology.)
