SUMMARY
MANILA, Philippines – It’s a process that moves like clockwork.
After another lopsided confrontation between Manila and Beijing in the West Philippine Sea comes statements – of condemnation against China, from the Philippines’ National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS); in support of Manila, from diplomats of nations who stand with the Philippines; and from China pinning the blame on the Philippines.
Just like clockwork, too, the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announces the filing of protests, both here and in Beijing.
In the aftermath of back-to-back water cannon incidents in two features in the West Philippine Sea, the DFA tapped three mechanisms – a demarche or a protest before the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing, a protes…