MANILA, Philippines — Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has defended China from accusations it is using its COVID-19 assistance to silence criticism of its aggression in the South China Sea.

“Leave the Chinese embassy in Manila alone. It never made a connection between medical help and legal claim,” Locsin tweeted yesterday.

“China’s anti-COVID assistance has been impeccable and cannot be accused of being covert. Covid/covert. Get the play on words?” he said.

The Philippines filed on Wednesday two diplomatic protests against China for its vessel’s pointing of a radar gun at a Philippine Navy ship and for Beijing’s declaring Philippine territory as part of Hainan province, violating international law and the country’s sovereignty.

Former foreign affairs chief Albert del Rosario said China continues to pursue its illegal and expansive claims in the South China Sea to the prejudice of Filipinos, the ASEAN states and the international community as a whole, despite the raging pandemic.

The United States asked the international community last Thursday to remember that the long-term threats to security have not disappeared with China taking advantage of the distraction and continuing its provocative behavior in the South China Sea.

“In fact, they’ve become more prominent. Beijing has moved to take advantage of the distraction, from China’s new unilateral announcement of administrative districts over disputed islands and maritime areas in the South China Sea, its sinking of a Vietnamese fishing vessel earlier this month, and its ‘research stations’ on Fiery Cross Reef and Subi Reef,” Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said.

Meanwhile, at least 119 overseas Filipino workers in Saudi Arabia tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19, and five died due to the respiratory disease.

“Some of our kababayans are facing challenges because of the ‘no-work, no-pay’ status here,” Ambassador Adnan Alonto said at the Laging Handa televised press briefing yesterday.

The embassy and consulates, he said, are monitoring the Filipinos affected by COVID-19 and their employers who are supposed to provide food and lodging to them.