As reports of alleged presence of Chinese survey ships in Philippine waters sparked security concerns among the public and the military, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. said he will ”universalize” the ban on such vessels to include those operated by the Chinese. “I banned marine survey ships, amending restriction to France & Japan by adding China. To pick & choose invites suspicion of favoritism. Will universalize the ban. Period. Granting exception to one country will automatically lift ban universally,” Locsin tweeted yesterday. “Exceptions invite bribes.” His tweet was in reaction to presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo’s statement that he sees nothing wrong with seeking US help in monitoring the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Earlier, two Chinese survey ships were recently detected operating within the Philippines’ EEZ.

Lee-Brago, P., Punongbayan, M. & Ong, G. (2019, July 13). Phl bans all foreign marine survey ships. The Philippine Star