PH to raise Scarborough incident in next China meeting, 35 diplomatic protests filed this year

Metro Manila, Philippines - The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Monday, Aug. 18, that the Philippines will raise the recent incidents in Scarborough Shoal in its next Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting with China.

In a joint briefing with the National Maritime Council, DFA spokesperson Angelica Escalona said the BCM provides a formal platform for Manila and Beijing to discuss pressing maritime issues.

“We are looking at existing platforms for discussing all these important matters with China. Again, the instructions to us are that we continue diplomacy and dialogue and keep lines of communication open with China to manage the issue in a peaceful manner,” Escalona said.

She said the department is studying whether to file a fresh diplomatic protest following the collision of two Chinese vessels near Scarborough Shoal last week and the dangerous maneuvering of a Chinese fighter jet against a Philippine aircraft conducting a maritime domain awareness flight.

“While we consider the situation an unfortunate outcome, it must be emphasized that it was not caused by the Philippines. As for a diplomatic protest on the specific incident, pinag-aaralan pa rin (we are still studying it),” Escalona explained.

The maritime council noted that the Philippines has already filed 35 diplomatic protests against China this year alone, underscoring the frequency of maritime confrontations.

The 10th BCM meeting between Manila and Beijing was held on Jan. 16 in Xiamen, Fujian.

Both sides conducted “frank and constructive” talks on the South China Sea and broader bilateral relations. The government said that while the Philippine position remains firm and consistent, the country is equally committed to engagement and dialogue, convinced that despite challenges and differences, there remains genuine space for pragmatic cooperation with China.

At that meeting, the two sides also exchanged views on the provisional understanding covering the Philippines’ rotation and reprovisioning missions to the BRP Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

Both acknowledged that the arrangement had helped de-escalate tensions, though they reaffirmed that it did not prejudice their respective national positions.

The Philippines is expected to host the next round of BCM talks later this year, where the Scarborough Shoal incident will take center stage.