Chinese envoy calls as "fabrication" ICC complaint filed vs Xi by ex-Philippine officials
Chinese Ambassador to Manila Zhao Jianhua on Monday called as "fabrication" the complaint filed against Chinese President Xi Jinping before the International Criminal Court by two former top Philippine officials.
In an interview in Malacanang before his meeting with Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo, the envoy expressed belief that the complaint of crimes against humanity that former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and retired Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales filed against Xi would not prosper.
"We think it is a kind of political action viciously targeting the Chinese leadership so we don't think it is a proper action that is based on fact. It's a fabrication and also a misuse of the mandate of the ICC," he said.
"I don't think it's (complaint) appropriate," he added.
Zhao also cited President Rodrigo Duterte and the department concerned have expressed clearly to the Chinese side that the Philippine government has no role in the action taken by the former Philippine officials.
In a statement after his meeting with Zhao, Panelo said he and the Chinese diplomat shared the official position of the Philippines on the "possible weaponisation of the ICC as a political tool, in stark contrast to the supposed spirit of the Rome Statute."
Del Rosario and Morales accused Xi of committing crimes against humanity for allegedly depriving thousands of Filipino fishermen of their livelihood and for the destruction of the environment in the disputed South China Sea.
In the same interview, Zhao said, "fishing can go on as usual" in the Panatag or Scarborough Shoal.
"They can go but there are some concern from each side on how far they can go and to what extent they can go near to the islands and reefs that we have people there. There are certain kinds of limits that I think both sides are observing," he said.
This was after the warning of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to the Filipino fishermen to avoid going to Panatag Shoal in the meantime to avoid any untoward incident.
Chinese coast guards have been patrolling the South China Sea, including Panatag area, reports said.
Panelo, in a press briefing, said he has to check with BFAR regarding its supposed advisory as he was not aware of it. Celerina Monte/DMS
