Caskets with anti-China banners found in Metro Manila sites

CASKETS draped with anti-China banners were left in at least five different sites in Metro Manila on Friday.The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said individual caskets were found in Santa Cruz, Manila; the Boy Scout Circle in South Triangle and the Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City; Barangay 54 in Caloocan City; and Gil Puyat Avenue in Makati City.The banner had slogans such as "Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Greedy! SALOT."Authorities said the caskets were abandoned by persons wearing masks on board white and gray vans at around 2 to 4 a.m.Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. has ordered an investigation."This cowardly act will not be left unpunished. NCRPO will ensure that the identity of those who are behind these acts will be uncovered and criminal cases will be filed upon completion of the investigation," the NCRPO said in a statement.It said it is treating the incidents as "deliberate acts intended to attract attention, provoke public reaction and possibly create unnecessary alarm."On Friday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) strongly condemned the caskets' anti-Chinese messages, saying it "does not condone acts or threats of violence against any individual, including foreign nationals or officials."The DFA said that while the Philippines upholds the constitutional right to freedom of expression, such freedom is not absolute and does not extend to threats of violence or actions that endanger the safety and security of others."Such actions do not reflect the Philippine government's approach to conducting its foreign relations, nor do they represent how Filipinos express criticism or dissatisfaction, even on sensitive political matters," it said.The statement came amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China over disputes in the West Philippine Sea, which have sparked protests and public demonstrations in recent months.The DFA has said political disagreements should never justify intimidation or violent symbolism directed at foreign nationals or diplomatic representatives."The Philippine government reaffirms that it takes seriously its duties and obligations concerning the safety and security of foreign nationals and officials in the country, including those arising from the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations," the DFA said.The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations obliges host states to protect diplomatic missions and accredited diplomats from harm or intimidation, while the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations provides similar protections for consular officials and premises.The DFA said it is coordinating with law enforcement agencies in investigating the incident and identifying those responsible.Civil society groups said the caskets reflected growing public frustration over China's actions in the West Philippine Sea.In a joint statement, Alyansa ng Bantay sa Kapayapaan at Demokrasya, People's Alliance for Democracy and Reforms, Liga Independencia Pilipinas and the Filipinos Do Not Yield Movement said the caskets, if intended as a symbolic protest, echoed years of public anger over repeated incidents involving Filipino fishermen, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Armed Forces of the Philippines in contested waters, despite the country's continued adherence to diplomacy and international law.Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia, chairman emeritus of the four organizations, said the caskets represented a sentiment shared by manyFilipinos who had grown weary of what he described as China's coercive actions in the West Philippine Sea."For too long, China has pushed the limits of Filipino patience," Goitia said. "Our fishermen have been harassed. Our CoastGuard and Navy have been obstructed while carrying out lawful missions. Our sovereign rights have been challenged despite a binding arbitral ruling. Yet the Philippines has answered with restraint, diplomacy and respect for international law.""Every nation has its breaking point. The Filipino people have reached theirs," he said.The groups also questioned what they described as the reporting of some pro-China media outlets, saying the public deserved to know if details or images of the incident had been intentionally obscured."The media's duty is to present the facts fully and fairly - not to shape public perception," Goitia said. "When relevant details appear to be filtered or downplayed, people inevitably begin asking whose interests are being served."