Malacañang on Monday denied that the government had not been protesting against China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that showed 81 percent of Filipinos disapproved of official inaction on the sea dispute.

In a radio interview, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government filed a protest every time Beijing violated Manila’s sovereignty over the WPS, but it always did so quietly.

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Roque said all Filipinos should reject government inaction against Chinese aggression because the country could not allow its territory to be claimed by another state.

“One hundred percent or 5 out 5 (Filipinos) should protest any inaction, because it is not true that President Duterte is not doing anything,” he said.

The President he would never give away any part of the country’s territory, Roque added.

He said the President’s policy was to set aside issues that could not be resolved immediately and to promote instead Manila’s economic ties with Beijing. —Christine O. Avendaño

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