SEN. Francis Tolentino yesterday recommended the recall of the country’s ambassador to China to send a message of a “high level of condemnation” of the latest harassment by the Chinese Coast Guard of Philippine vessels on a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre at the Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
Tolentino said the government has taken almost all means of diplomatic solutions to China’s bullying of Philippine vessels within the country’s exclusive economic zone, the latest of which was last Friday, but apparently Beijing does not want to abide by international laws.
He said the government has summoned the Chinese ambassador each time China harasses Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea, and the country has mobilized international support but all of these apparently do not work as Beijing insists that that area historically belongs to China.
Tolentino said recalling the Philippine ambassador has not been done yet by the government as he said that the DFA will have to decide on this.
“The message we want to get across is that there is a high level of condemnation because the embassy will no longer have a head. Our office, however, will still be open to process visa applications. This does not mean we are cutting diplomatic relations but it only expresses a high level of [disgust], that we are fed up, that maybe we can catch their attention because we have filed hundreds of diplomatic protests),” he said in Filipino during an interview with radio dzBB.
He said a recall order would also mean that there is a high level of violation of international law committed by China in the WPS.
Tolentino said recalling an ambassador has been done before as a sign of protest against the host country.
He said the issues in WPS will only stop once China recognizes that the WPS is not part of its territory.
A similar call was made by Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus to President Marcos Jr. in May this year, after a near-collision between vessels of the China Coast Guard and the Philippine Coast Guard also near Ayungin Shoal.
