Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza (PNA file photo by Jess Escaros)
MANILA – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it opposes the use of force in the South China Sea after a clash between Chinese maritime authorities and Vietnamese fishermen in the Paracel Islands resulted in four injured fisherfolk on Sept. 29.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said Friday the DFA is aware of what she described as a "serious incident" and called on parties to exercise "genuine self-restraint."
"The Philippines has consistently denounced the use of force, aggression, and intimidation in the South China Sea, and emphasized the need for actors to exercise genuine self-restraint," she said.
"It is a paramount obligation to ensure the safety at sea of vessels and their crew, especially fisherfolk."
The incident took place near a Chinese-occupied island in the Paracels, which state-run Tien Phong newspaper said involved 40 people attacking the Vietnamese fisherfolk for three hours.
The Vietnamese Foreign Ministry had condemned the Chinese law enforcement forces for its "brutal behavior," saying it violated Vietnam's sovereignty over the Paracels.
Meanwhile, the DFA underscored the need for disputes in the South China Sea "to be managed peacefully and in accordance with international law," particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. (PNA)
