Makabayan urges Marcos admin to demand pullout of Chinese military assets in WPS after laser-pointing incident

The Makabayan Bloc on Wednesday strongly condemned China's use of a military-grade laser against a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel while in a resupply mission for Filipino troops in Ayungin Shoal.

In filing House Resolution No. 781, progressive lawmakers Arlene Brosas, France Castro, and Raoul Danniel Manuel stressed that "the Marcos administration should issue an equivocal assertion of the country's sovereign rights over the Ayungin Shoal and demand the pullout of Chinese military assets in the West Philippine Sea."

It stated that the latest incident constitutes a deliberate act of aggression by Beijing against a Philippine government vessel, noting that the action was a clear violation of Philippine sovereign rights.

"This incident also escalates the string of transgressions by China in the West Philippine Sea which merit a stronger countermeasure from the Marcos Jr. administration beyond the usual filing of diplomatic protests," the resolution stated.

Further, the group called on the legislative branch of government to issue its strongest condemnation of the incident and renounce any further activity that could escalate tensions in the resource-rich region.

On Tuesday, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. summoned Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian to express serious concern over the increasing frequency and intensity of actions by China against personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard and Filipino fishermen.

According to the Chinese Embassy, Marcos and Huang "exchanged views on how to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, strengthen dialogue and communication, and properly manage maritime differences between China and the Philippines."

The Department of Foreign Affairs already lodged a protest over the incident, as it condemned the shadowing, harassment, dangerous maneuvers, directing of military-grade laser, and illegal radio challenges by the Chinese vessel.

For its part, Beijing accused the Philippine vessel of intruding into the waters off the Ren'ai Reef “without Chinese permission.” —VAL, GMA Integrated News