Recall of Phl envoy to Beijing pressed — Chinese ‘disrespect’ at WPS condemned

Recalling the Philippine Ambassador to China remains a very strong government option amid the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea, Senator Francis Tolentino said Sunday.

Tolentino pointed out that the Philippines' envoy to Beijing, Ambassador Jaime Florcruz, may be recalled to express the country's displeasure with China's continuous aggression in the WPS.

"Let us temporarily recall our ambassador in Bejing. Let him return home to signal that what they did to our resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre was a huge disrespect," he said. "This sends a message that the level of condemnation due to the incident is high."

Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, clarified, however, that the services offered by the Philippine Embassy in China should continue in the event of a recall.

Last week, Manila lambasted Beijing for firing water cannons and carrying out dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels en route to a resupply mission of the Sierra Madre in Ayungin Shoal.

No to airdrop

The latest incident followed alleged harassment of  China Coast Guard ships and militia vessels in the waters within the Philippines' 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.

China, however, has insisted that Philippine vessels trespassed into its territorial waters, a claim invalidated by the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award.

Meanwhile, Tolentino objected to proposals to airdrop supplies to Filipino troops stationed in the grounded BRP Sierra Madre.

"Avoiding the measures that are part of our rights is like showing — pardon me, Congressman Rufus [Rodriguez] is my friend — but it shows that we are giving in to what they want," he said.

Invoking MDT

"That (WPS) is ours, why are we adjusting for them?" he asked.

On Friday, Rodriguez suggested utilizing the assets of the Philippine Air Force instead of sending the supplies via boat, which exposes Filipino soldiers to danger during their resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal.

Rodriguez averred that the danger Air Force and Navy personnel would face in those missions would be the same as that which civilian boat crew members have been facing.

He stressed that it is the responsibility of the Armed Forces of the Philippines to resupply its troops stationed aboard the Sierra Madre as Ayungin is part of Philippine territory.

"They (Chinese) would have to intentionally crash their aircraft with ours or shoot down our planes. We don't want that to happen, but if it happens, then our Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States will come into play," Rodriguez said.

Last month, United States President Joe Biden reaffirmed Washington's "ironclad" alliance with Manila. He asserted Washington's readiness to invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines in the face of the People's Republic of China's increasing aggression in the WPS.

"Just this past week, the PRC vessels acted dangerously and unlawfully as our Philippine friends conducted a routine resupply mission within their own — their own exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea," he said.

Citing Article IV of the MDT, the US President warned that "any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke" their defense pact with the Philippines.

Signed in 1951, the Philippines and the US agreed that an armed attack on either of them would be dangerous to the other, necessitating a joint response in accordance with their respective constitutional processes.