The Philippines has filed a diplomatic protest against China over its unilateral imposition fishing moratorium in areas that include the West Philippine Sea, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. "In a diplomatic note dated 30 May 2022, the DFA conveyed its protest to the moratorium, which cover areas in the West Philippine Sea over which the Philippines has sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction," the DFA said in a statement. The fishing moratorium begins today and ends on Aug. 16. In filing the diplomatic protest, the DFA cited Paragraph 716 of the "final" and "binding" ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration Award base in The Hague on July 12, 2016.

Brago, P. L. & Porcalla. (2022, June 1). Phl protests China's unilateral fishing ban in SCS. The Philippine Star, p. 2.