Senator: Recall Philippines envoy to China

MANILA, Philippines — After the sixth attack of the China Coast Guard on Philippine vessels on a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a senator is recommending to the executive department the recall of the Philippine ambassador to China as a “high level of condemnation” for their continuous aggression.

In an interview over dzBB, Sen. Francis Tolentino said recalling an ambassador does not mean severing diplomatic ties with China but merely a higher level of diplomatic protest.

“The executive – President Marcos and the Department of Foreign Affairs will decide on this. They can recall our ambassador who is in Beijing to report to the DFA and the President and also to show that the level of violation of international law is too high and that it damages our right to WPS by the People’s Republic of China,” Tolentino noted.

The Philippines’ man in Beijing is former journalist Jaime FlorCruz.

“(The recall is a) high level of condemnation because the embassy will have no head of office. Although the embassy is still open, diplomatic relations are not severed or broken, this is still a hint at a high level diplomatic protest and will be noticed. I counted and we already have six violent incidents (in WPS),” he added.

The senator was quick to explain that recalling ambassadors has basis as other countries have done so in the past, like Iran and its ambassador to Saudi Arabia in 2016.

Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri said he “register my strong condemnation against the recent attack perpetrated by Chinese ships on Philippine vessels out on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre in its outpost in Ayungin Shoal.”

“In this latest incident, we again see China as a bully: using size and brute strength to illegally encroach upon our EEZ (exclusive economic zone) and enforce a baseless right to drive away our protectors,” he said. “But water cannons and blockades will not dampen the will and resolve of our Navy and our Coast Guard to protect our exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea.