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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Tolentino urges PBBM to recall PH envoy after China's latest water cannon attack

Tolentino urges PBBM to recall PH envoy after China's latest water cannon attack

Published Nov 12, 2023 06:28 am

Senator Francis Tolentino on Sunday, November 12 urged President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to consider recalling the country’s ambassador to Beijing to protest the latest water cannon attack by the Chinese Coast Guard on a Philippine vessel that was on a resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) last Friday.

Some senators have already slammed the latest acts of aggression by the Chinese Coast Guard in the contested maritime area, with some urging Malacañang to heed the recommendations under Senate Resolution No. 79, by bringing the country’s complaints against China through a resolution before the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

“We haven’t done this but this can be decided upon by the Executive branch, the President, and the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs). If possible, let’s ask our ambassador in Beijing to return to the country and report to the DFA, to our President also, and to show that the level of abuses and violations on international law is already glaring and is an affront to our rights in the West Philippine Sea,” Tolentino said in Filipino in a Radio DZBB interview.

Other countries, the senator said have already done as such, citing the case of Iran when they recalled their ambassador to Saudi Arabia following tensed bilateral relations.

The lawmaker said Malacañang should consider doing the same to Jaime FlorCruz, the country’s principal representative in China.

“The embassy in Beijing would still be open to issue visa and allow the personnel and the consular officers to work—only the ambassador will be recalled,” Tolentino said.

“So we can do that, temporarily recall our ambassador to Beijing and have him return home to send a strong message to them that what they have done is a serious violation of our rights to conduct a resupply mission at the BRP Sierra Madre,” he stressed.

“But still, it is the DFA that will decide on what we should do next,” he pointed out.

Recalling the country’s ambassador to China will also a send a strong signal that the Philippines is carrying out a highest level of condemnation on the continuing aggression of the Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

“We’re not cutting diplomatic relations. It would just be a way of telling them to stop and that they are going overboard, hoping they would finally notice us because we have filed hundreds of diplomatic protests. I counted and there were at least six very violent incidents (that happened in the WPS0,” he pointed out.

Related Tags

Jaime Florcruz Francis Tolentino West Philippine Sea (WPS water cannon attack
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