PH won’t leave Ayungin...

people's lives," Aguilar said.

Senators crossed party lines in condemning the latest incident in Ayungin.

"By its actions, it (China) shows diplomatic duplicity, of preaching about amity but practicing hostile behavior. This incident reaffirms the merit of the resolution the Senate has unanimously passed," Senate President Juan Miguel "Migz" Zubiri said, Just last week, the Senate adopted Resolution 79 calling on the Philippine government to bring its sea row with China before the United Nations General Assembly.

Sen. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros said China's "repeated provocations are in complete violation of Unclos and the 2016 Arbitral Award. "I call on our regional neighbors and the broader international community to join the Philippines in condemning this dangerous behavior," Hontiveros said.

"This kind of bullying must stop! We urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to implement the courses of action stipulated in the resolution passed by the Senate to finally put an end to this harassment and bullying by China," Senate Majority Leader Emmanuel Joel Villanueva said, Sen. Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said, "The fact that this incident happened shortly after the Senate of the Philippines approved a resolution seeking to raise China's bullying before the United Nations makes it even more insulting."

"We cannot let this slip. This is too much already! I urge the national government to heed the Senate's recent resolution on China's aggression and take decisive measures to safeguard our territorial integrity," Ejercito said.

Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. said Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian "has a lot of explaining to do, and must not shirk away from the obligation to shepherd the maintenance of diplomatic relations, especially with yet another blatant disregard of our autonomy and sovereignty."

made a promise that we would remove the ship," Tarriela said.

The Chinese Embassy has yet to respond to The Manila Times' query which Philippine administration made such a promise.

"We have referred your question to the proper authorities and will revert asap (as soon as possible). You may ask [the] DFA," the embassy said.

National Security Council spokesman Jonathan Malaya, on the other hand, said, "There is no record or any minutes of a meeting or any formal report or any legal document, legally enforceable document or otherwise, or a verbal agreement" to prove that the Philippines made the promise to remove BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal.

"The ship was deliberately run aground many years ago, if I'm not mistaken during the time of President [Joseph] Estrada, that was many administrations ago? So was this commitment made and who made the promise? It will be very difficult for us to respond to a hypothetical question on the part of China because insofar as we're concerned we have not [signed] and will never sign or agree to anything that would in effect abandon our sovereign rights and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, in particular Ayungin Shoal precisely because it is located in our exclusive economic zone, it is part of our continental shelf and that fact was affirmed by the 2016 ruling of the Arbitral Tribunal in The Hague," Malaya said in a virtual media briefing on Tuesday.

"If someone agreed to remove the Sierra Madre, that goes against the legal position of the government, so again, we can consider this, I think, a fiction, [a product] of the imaginations of the [Chinese Foreign Ministry]. Even if we look back at past media reports, you would not see that kind of agreement being discussed," he added.

Malaya said the Philippine government will continue to resupply troops on the grounded vessel "as long as it takes."

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also on Tuesday said it would conduct another resupply mission for Filipino troops manning the BRP Sierra Madre, which is permanently stationed in Ayungin Shoal.

AFP spokesman Col. Medel Aguilar said only half of the regular supply was unloaded when a water cannon incident happened on August 5. He also said what was delivered to the troops was not enough.

Aguilar added that he does not know how long these supplies will last, but there is a need to resupply these military personnel within the next two weeks.

"We will see how we are going to do it because of what just happened," he said.

The PCG said the China Coast Guard on August 5 made dangerous maneuvers and used water cannons against Philippine vessels resupplying food, water, fuel and other supplies to military troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre.

More nations voiced concern over the water bombing of Philippine vessels in Ayungin Shoal. New Zealand, France, Germany and South Korea have joined five other countries in expressing deep concern over "dangerous" actions by the China Coast Guard that raised tensions in the disputed seas. The United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Australia and Canada on Monday slammed the water bombing of Philippine vessels by the CCG.

The European Mission in Manila also echoed its concern.

Ambassador of New Zealand to the Philippines Peter Kell on Tuesday wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Wellington "is deeply concerned at these latest dangerous actions toward the Philippines."

Kell said NZ "reiterates our call for all parties to refrain from actions which escalate tensions or undermine trust and confidence, and for the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with Unclos (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea)."

The embassy has reaffirmed its support for peace, stability and rules-based order in the South China Sea, as an "important international sea lane of communications."

It also supports the "freedom of navigation and overflight based on the principles of international law, including Unclos.

Germany is concerned by the "dangerous maneuvers and use of water cannons by China Coast Guard vessels against a lawful Filipino resupply mission within the Philippines' own EEZ."

Germany, through its embassy in Manila, urged all parties "to respect the rules-based international maritime order," particularly Unclos, "with the 2016 Arbitral Award at its center."

On July 12, 2016 the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in favor of the Philippines and invalidated China's expansive " nine-dash line" policy in the South China Sea (SCS).

"In light of recent events, Germany stresses that disputes must be resolved peacefully, not by force or coercion," the embassy said.

The Embassy of France, in a statement, expressed "deep concern about the dangerous maneuvers carried out by Chinese coast guard vessels in the South China Sea."

It reiterated its support for international law and Unclos, as it cited the "decision handed down by the Court of Arbitration in 2016 concerning the South China Sea."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the BRP Sierra Madre was deployed to Ayungin Shoal to protect the country's interests.

"The deployment of a Philippine military station in its own areas of jurisdiction is an inherent right of the Philippines and does not violate any laws," the DFA said in a statement also on Tuesday.

The DFA said the Philippines decided in 1999 to deploy a "permanent station on Ayungin Shoal [through the BRP Sierra Madre] in response to China's illegal occupation of Panganiban Reef in 1995."

Blocked and bombed A China Coast Guard vessel trains a water canon on a Philippine resupply ship in this photo provided by the Philippine Coast Guard. PNA photo

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III urged the Philippine government to "use diplomacy and intelligent tactics" in addressing the issue with China. g

"It is our right to bring what is necessary to maintain the station and to be sure that our troops there are properly provisioned," he added.

The Embassy of South Korea in Manila, in a statement also on Tuesday, raised concern over the recent use of water cannons against Philippine vessels.

The Philippine government said the Ayungin Shoal, as explicitly stated in the 2016 Arbitral Award, is a low-tide elevation that "is not subject to sovereignty claims or appropriation." g