District Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Monday, May 1 called on President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to consider recalling the country’s ambassador to Beijing as a show of protest and displeasure over the near-collision incident between a Philippine Coast Guard patrol and a Chinese Coast Guard vessel.
“He should not go back to Beijing until we receive a response from the Chinese government apologizing for their harassment and bullying tactics in the West Philippine Sea and committing to rectify their misconduct,” Rodriguez said. In 2022 alone, 193 protest notes were served, including 65 by the Marcos administration, he pointed out.
At the same time, Rodriguez lauded the “unequivocal, clear commitment by the US government” in response to the recent near-collision incident, which happened in the Ayungin Shoal area, where a small contingent of Filipino soldiers is stationed in an old, rusting Navy ship.