Manila, Feb. 11 -- Senator Erwin Tulfo on Wednesday signaled support for diplomatic de-escalation amid recent tensions involving statements from the Chinese Embassy, saying the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should take the lead while negotiations on a South China Sea Code of Conduct (COC) move forward.

Tulfo, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, said foreign policy responses should be handled by the DFA.

"Ipaubaya na muna natin sa Department of Foreign Affairs... sila na ho, trabaho po nila 'yan (Let us leave it for now to the Department of Foreign Affairs... that is their job)," he said in a chance interview.

Tulfo said discussions on a COC are ongoing among claimant states, including Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei...