Senator Francis Tolentino on Sunday pressed his call to temporarily recall the Philippine Ambassador to China as a sign of protest against the repeated actions of China against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

Tolentino, who chairs the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, reiterated his call following the water cannon assault committed by the China Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels en route to deliver fresh supplies to Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal.

“We can see that China’s statement is already worsening. They are portraying it as if we are ‘inviting disgrace upon ourselves.’ To me, those words were excessive,” he said in a radio interview.

“We did not mean to shame anyone, especially ourselves. We just want to bring supplies to our troops in Ayungin,” he added.

On Saturday, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) reported yet another use of a water cannon by the CCG against Philippine vessels en route to a resupply mission to troops stationed at BRP Sierra Madre.

According to NTF-WPS, the water cannon assault both caused damage and injuries to the crew members of Unaizah May 4 and the boat itself.

China, on the other hand, through CCG spokesperson Gan Yun, defended the actions committed by its coast guard, stressing that they “implemented lawful regulation, interception, and expulsion in a reasonable and professional manner.”

“We warn the Philippines that playing with fire is an invitation of disgrace, and the China Coast Guard is ready at all times to defend the country’s territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests,” he said.

At this point, Tolentino said the government still has many options on the table, one of which was his earlier suggestion to recall the country’s top diplomat in China.

“I have said it before: Recall the ambassador. They are not doing it,” he stressed. “We can do more things; however, I won’t recommend the change of boat, especially if the one we are going to use instead is a boat by the Navy.”

The lawmaker warned that a possible attack on government vessels could trigger the Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) between the Philippines and the United States.

“It could trigger the MDT,” he stressed, referring to the defense pact signed by the Philippines and the US in 1951, which stated that an armed attack in the Pacific area on either of the parties would be dangerous to its own peace and safety and that it would act to meet the common dangers in accordance with its constitutional processes.

During his recent visit to the Philippines, US State Department Secretary Antony Blinken stressed that Washington is ready to invoke its defense pact with the Philippines in the face of Beijing’s increasing aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“We have a shared concern about the PRC actions that threaten our common vision for a free open Indo-Pacific, including in the South China Sea and the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone,” Blinken said.

Citing Article IV of the MDT, the US State Department secretary reiterated that “any attack on the Filipino aircraft, vessels, or armed forces will invoke” their defense pact with the Philippines.