MANILA -- Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. on Sunday appealed anew for the issue of China's clam harvesting in disputed waters to be left alone.

Filipino fishermen recently told ABS-CBN News that the Chinese Coast Guard have driven them away from the resource-rich Scarborough Shoal on the South China Sea, while wooden trawlers bearing the Chinese flag extract giant clams there.

"If this clam issue ends up with China GRANTING us PERMISSION and even help to save the clams—thereby eroding our victory in the Hague—I will tear out your genitals with pliers," Locsin said on Twitter.

"Putrefaction ang ina niyo. Just leave things alone you idiotesses," he added.

The official did not specify whom his statement was directed at.

But last Tuesday, he told a social media user to "shut up about the clams" because remarks on it could "compromise" Manila's victory in a Hague-based arbitration court that invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims to the waterway.

Then shut up about the clams. What if China offers to protect clams and lets us in to help. . That compromises Hague victory. China will have given us permission. Boba. https://t.co/KbxRjOnRAf — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) April 24, 2019

Locsin also drew criticism from music superstar Regine Velasquez for his dismissive remarks on the clams, saying the issue was "just f**king food."

Shell carvings from clams that Chinese fishers pillage from the South China Sea could fetch as much as P5.5 million, according to a 2016 report on Science magazine.



To harvest clams, one also needs to pulverize surrounding corals that provide habitat for fish, said Jay Batongbacal, director of the University of the Philippines Institute for Maritime Affairs and Law of the Sea.

President Rodrigo Duterte and Chinese leader Xi Jinping earlier this week agreed to resolve the maritime row through "peaceful, diplomatic" means, Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Sta. Romana said.