MANILA (REUTERS) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has barred his cabinet from talking about the South China Sea in public, but said the gag order did not mean the country was wavering in its defence of its sovereign rights.
His decision follows weeks of strong rebukes of China by his ministers over the presence of hundreds of fishing vessels in the Philippines' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), fuelling tensions that have gone against Duterte's policy of rapprochement and non-confrontation with Beijing.
Tensions between the Philippines and its giant neighbour have escalated since March, with Manila filing daily diplomatic protests over the presence of hundreds of Chinese fishing vessels in disputed portions of the South China Sea.
"This is my order now to the cabinet, and to all and sundry talking for the government, to refrain from discussing the West Philippine Sea with anybody," Mr Duterte said in a televised national address.
Manila refers to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.
"If we talk, we talk but just among us," he said.
But Mr Duterte later clarified his order should not be construed as weakness and on Tuesday said maritime patrols must continue.
"Our agencies have been directed to do what they must and should to protect and defend our nation's interest," Mr Duterte said in a statement.
Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea, through which about US$3 trillion (S$4 trillion) worth of ship-borne trade passes each year.
But in 2016, an arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled that that claim, which China bases on old maps, was inconsistent with international law.
Since taking office in 2016, Duterte has pursued warmer ties with China, setting aside the territorial spat in exchange for Beijing's promise of billions of dollars in loans, aid and investment.
Duterte's defence and foreign ministers and his legal adviser have taken strong positions against Beijing over the presence of hundreds of Chinese vessels within Manila's 200-mile exclusive economic zone.
The Philippines believes the Chinese vessels are manned by militia, describing their presence as "swarming and threatening" as it continues to demand for the flotilla to be withdrawn immediately.
Duterte has rebuffed a call from China to withdraw vessels from disputed areas of the South China Sea and said he would not bow to pressure, even if it jeopardises his friendship with Beijing.
Beijing's embassy in Manila was not immediately available for comment outside office hours. Chinese diplomats have said the boats were sheltering from rough seas and no militia were aboard.
The gag order could lessen tensions at the rhetorical level, said Aaron Jed Rabena of the Asia-Pacific Pathways to Progress, a Manila-based think tank.
"It could be that President Duterte has realised that it's high time for his administration to speak with one voice given the mixed signals ... which show a government that is incoherent," Mr Rabena said.
