MALACAÑANG is awaiting recommendations from the Department of National Defense and the National Security Adviser following Google’s move to suspend some business with Huawei amid the US-China trade war.
Telecommunication firms in the country had assured Huawei users on Monday that the ban will not affect their network services.
“I suppose that the National Security Adviser and the Department of National Defense are studying the matter given that it is brought to the public knowledge on certain apprehensions relative to the use of Huawei,” said Presidential Spokesman and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador S. Panelo in a briefing on Tuesday.
“…The President will be waiting for whatever recommendation they have on that,” he also said.
Panelo, who admitted that he is not a Huawei user, also clarified that he is also “not sure” if currently there is an ongoing study by the government following this development.
Reports have said that existing Huawei smartphone users will be able to use and download app updates provided by Google but future versions of Huawei smartphones that run on Android may lose access to Google’s popular services, such as Google Play Store, Gmail and Youtube Apps.
China fishing ban
Meanwhile, the Palace was also mum about the fishing ban
imposed by China in the West Philippine Sea as it referred all queries to the
Department of
Foreign Affairs. Vietnam has rejected Beijing’s unilateral fishing
ban for it violates Hanoi’s sovereignty over Paracel Islands, noting that it is
against the international law, including the 1982 United Nations Convention on
the Law of the Sea (Unclos). The ban started on May 1 and will last until
August 16, according to the Chinese agricultural ministry.
Asked if the Philippines will be affected by the fishing ban, Panelo said: “I’ll leave that to the Department of Foreign Affairs secretary.”
Nonetheless, Panelo said DFA will soon be stating its position on the matter.
The Palace spokesman also denied that he is being cautious in issuing statements when it comes to foreign policy after Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro L. Locsin tweeted that he has the “last and only word in foreign affairs after the President’s.” Locsin even added in his tweet: “After the President and then me, no one has the authority to sever anything but his own throat. Certainly not diplomatic relations. Can we all keep silent?”
The Palace spokesman reiterated on Tuesday that he doesn’t feel alluded to by Locsin.
“There is nothing wrong with my statement regarding the issue involving vis-à-vis another country. I didn’t feel alluded to because I told you before, whatever the position of Locsin would be the position of the President. He could be referring to another official, not me,” he said.
Panelo said last week in a briefing that the decision to recall the Philippines’s representatives to Canada serves as a warning that diplomatic ties may be cut between two countries.
The DFA’s order to recall its top diplomats from Canada was triggered by the latter’s failure to meet the May 15 deadline to retrieve its garbage from the Philippines.
Image credits: (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan )