The Philippines can recall its envoy in Beijing to show the highest condemnation against its harassment of Filipino troops in the West Philippine Sea, Senator Francis Tolentino said Sunday.

“We can, and this hasn’t been done yet by our country but the Executive Branch, the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) can decide to order our ambassador in Beijing to come home so that he can receive instructions from the DFA and also the President. And to show that they have committed the highest level of violation of international law which also intrudes on our rights in the West Philippine Sea,” said Tolentino, the chairperson of the Senate Special Committee on Maritime and Admiralty Zones, over dzBB.

“The message this is sending is that there is a high level of condemnation because the head of our embassy is no longer there…This isn’t a sign of severing diplomatic relations. This shows that they’re already aggravating us so much because we have filed hundreds of diplomatic protests and there are consecutive incidents…six violent incidents this year,” he added.

He suggested this apart from summoning the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian and “mobilizing support” from allied states.

The National Task Force-West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) last Friday said that a China Coast Guard vessel once again used water cannon to prevent a Philippine vessel from completing its resupply mission to the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal. Jaspearl Tan/DMS