Philippines warns of 'unfriendly' greeting for uninvited warships

MANILA, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte has warned of "unfriendly" treatment for foreign ships
travelling in the country's territorial waters without
permission, in a rare swipe at China's use of warships just a
few miles off Manila's coast.
Duterte's spokesman, Salvador Panelo, on Tuesday made the
demand for transparency amid frustration by the Philippine
military at multiple sightings this year of Chinese warships
moving within the country's 12 mile territorial sea, at various
locations in the archipelago.
"All foreign vessels passing our territorial waters must
notify and get clearance from the proper government authority
well in advance of the actual passage," Panelo said.
"Either we get a compliance in a friendly manner or we
enforce it in an unfriendly manner," he added.
Panelo did not refer to China by name, nor elaborate on what
that enforcement might entail.
The Philippines has lodged several diplomatic protests in
recent weeks over the activities of Chinese coastguard, navy and
paramilitary fishing vessels in Philippine-controlled areas of
the South China Sea and in its territorial waters. The armed forces has released images and cited witness
sightings between February and early August of Chinese warships
off Palawan and Tawi Tawi islands, a pattern that Defence
Secretary Delfin Lorenzana last week described as an "irritant".
Duterte is facing heat at home for what critics say is his
passive approach to Chinese provocations in exchange for a
business relationship with Beijing that is not working out well
for him, with promised investments slow in coming.
Though surveys consistently show Duterte enjoying a level of
domestic approval never seen at this point in a presidency, the
same polls show growing disdain for China over its conduct in
the South China Sea, and reservations among some Filipinos over
a massive influx of Chinese online gaming workers under Duterte.
Duterte will visit China from Aug. 28 to Sept. 2, his
spokesman said. He has promised to discuss a South China Sea
2016 international arbitration victory over China with
counterpart Xi Jinping. Duterte has until now chosen not to push that ruling, which
invalidated China's claim of sovereignty over most of the South
China Sea. Beijing did not participate in the court proceedings
and rejected the ruling.
The South China Sea is a vital route for ships carrying more
than $3 trillion in trade every year. The Philippines, Malaysia,
Vietnam, Taiwan and Brunei also have overlapping claims to parts
of it.