Go home, JV tells ‘hostile’ Huang

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has slammed the presence of Chinese vessels in Philippine waters as "an outright and blatant violation of international law and the rules-based international order."

The President's statement late Sunday was in response to the harassment by Chinese ships of Philippine vessels on a supply mission to fisherfolk at Scarborough Shoal on Saturday and troops stationed at Ayungin Shoal on Sunday.

A China Coast Guard vessel also rammed a Philippine civilian vessel, the Unaizah Mae 1, on Sunday as it was on its way to resupply Filipino soldiers stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin.

Aboard the Unaizah Mae 1 was Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief so Staff General Romeo Brawner Jr., who went ballistic over the incident. (See sidebar)

Three Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources boats were also attacked by the Chinese militia vessels using deafening acoustic devices on Saturday.

On Monday, the Department of Foreign Affairs took note of a clamor by senators to declare persona non grata China's Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian over the latest incidents in the West Philippine Sea.

The DFA said it had sent two diplomatic protests to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing and had summoned Huang over the two water cannon incidents in the WPS over the weekend.

"The DFA filed a diplomatic protest with the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs through a phone call," DFA spokesperson Ma. Teresita Daza said.

"We confirm that our Philippine Embassy in Beijing has made a demarche to Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials yesterday concerning the Bajo de Masinloc and the Ayungin Shoal incidents," she added.

A demarche is a diplomatic action that involves presenting viewpoints or grievances to a government or public authority, typically seen as a step in diplomatic proceedings.

Diplomatic line

Senator Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito pressed for Huang's forced return to China for "fueling the tension" in the WPS.

"The Chinese ambassador here has been very hostile. He is supposed to be the diplomatic line. He is supposed to be the line to ease the tension because of the current circumstances," he said. "However, what is happening is that he is the one fueling the tension. He is very hostile."

According to Ejercito, the Chinese envoy's hostility was experienced personally by General Brawner.

Consequences

"As a matter of fact, General Brawner even told us that they met at one event and the envoy told him: 'Stop provoking us,'" Ejercito said.

"We hoped he would be the bridge. However, he is the one adding fuel to the fire."

"My message to the ambassador: Go home, you are up to no good in our country," Ejercito said.

Earlier, Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri urged President Marcos to send Huang home.

Daza, however, stressed that the decision to declare an ambassador persona non grata is a serious one with both intended and unintended consequences.

"It is something that has to be seriously considered," said Daza, adding that the DFA is aware of the calls from legislators for such action.

She clarified that the department is not actively recommending the declaration of Huang as persona non grata, but rather studying the feasibility and potential consequences of such a move.

"There is a whole range of diplomatic actions available to a country," Daza said, listing options like protests, summons, and, in the extreme, declaring an ambassador persona non grata.

"When you do that, that is at a certain level already and there are both intended and unintended consequences, and that is the reason why a serious consideration should actually be undertaken," Daza said.

In a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter), Marcos said that China's aggressive behavior toward Filipino vessels in the WPS has further strengthened the country's resolve to defend its sovereignty within its territory.

"The aggression and provocations perpetrated by the China Coast Guard and their Chinese maritime militia against our vessels and personnel over the weekend have only further steeled our determination to defend and protect our nation's sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea," Marcos said.

He emphasized that he has been in constant communication with the national security and defense leadership and has directed the Philippine military to fulfill their mission while prioritizing the safety of their personnel.

Within EEZ

Marcos also underscored that Ayungin Shoal is within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone.

"Any foreign claim of sovereignty over it is baseless and absolutely contrary to international law. Bajo de Masinloc is a sovereign Philippine territory and an integral part of our archipelago," the President said.

"No one but the Philippines has a legitimate right or legal basis to operate anywhere in the West Philippine Sea," he added.

The Philippines and China have a lengthy track record of maritime clashes in the disputed West Philippine Sea, an area crucial for the trillions of dollars in annual trade that passes through it.

The harassment persists despite the 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, which deemed China's claims in the waters as lacking legal grounds and declared its construction of artificial islands in contested areas as unlawful.

Beijing opted out of the proceedings and has disregarded the court's decision. Alongside the Philippines and China, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan also assert their claims in the region.