MANILA (UPDATED) — Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go on Sunday urged China to “stop bullying” the Philippines after a Chinese Coast Guard ship used a water canon against a Philippine vessel delivering supplies to Ayungin shoal.

“Kinukondena po natin ito… Stop bullying us,” said Go, a close ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who forged closer ties with Beijing.

“Hindi porke't na maliit tayong bansa ay gaganunin na lang tayo. Respeto po ang kailangan dito,” he told reporters on the sidelines of an event in Malacañang.

“Sa loob po ng anim na taon ay sobra-sobra po ang respeto na ibinigay ni dating Pangulong Duterte sa inyo,” he said.

(We condemn this. They can't treat us this way just because we are a small country. Respect is necessary. Former President Duterte gave you so much respect.)

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During his presidency, Duterte pivoted away from the Philippines’ traditional alliance with the United States after then-US President Barack Obama criticized his anti-illegal drugs campaign, which killed thousands of drug suspects.

“Naging mabuti naman po ang ating gobyerno noong panahon ni Pangulong Duterte sa inyo,” said Go, who served as Duterte’s close-aide before winning a Senate seat.

“Nakikiusap ako, tigilan na ang pangbubully sa ating mga Coast Guard, sa ating mga fishermen,” the senator said.

“Pakiusap ko lang po sa gobyerno ng Tsina, kakapunta lang po ni dating Pangulong Duterte diyan sa inyo. Stop bullying us,” he said.

(The Duterte administration had been good to you. Please stop bullying our Coast Guard, our fishermen. I ask the government of China, President Duterte visited you only recently.)

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Go was referring to Duterte’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, which happened a few weeks before China’s latest aggression against a Philippine vessel in the West Philippine Sea.

Among the things Duterte told Xi was to “look kindly on the Philippines,” Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri earlier said, after Duterte’s visit in Malacañang last week.

When asked why Duterte’s appeal to Xi seemed ineffective, Go underscored that the Davaoeño politician is no longer the President of the Philippines.

“Personal trip yung kaniya. Hindi na siya ang presidente,” Go said.

“Pumunta po siya doon dahil sa imbitasyon ng isang eskuwelahan, isang foundation, para sa inauguration ng Solidad Duterte building, isang eskuwelahan po doon,” he said.

“Nagkataon po na nandoon siya, naimbitahan siya bilang isang kaibigan ni President Xi, pumunta siya,” he added.

(His trip was personal. He's no longer the president. He went there ypon the invitation of a school, a foundation, for the inauguration of the Solidad Duterte building. When he was there, President Xi invited him to meet as a friend.)

Go also underscored that the Philippines “should fight for what it won,” an indirect reference to Manila’s international arbitration victory against Beijing.

“Ano po yung napanalunan natin, atin po yun. Kahit ano pong nangyari lumaban po tayo,” he said.

(Whatever we won, that's ours. No matter what happens, we should fight.)

The ruling — which invalidated China’s 9-dash line and sweeping claims in the South China Sea — was awarded to the Philippines two weeks after Duterte rose to power in 2016.

Duterte had shelved the ruling, saying that enforcing it might start a war between the Philippines and China.

The former president had also called the arbitral victory as “just a piece of paper” which he can “throw in the waste basket.”

• Philippines slams China's use of water cannons at PCG boats in Ayungin Shoal
• US, EU, Japan diplomats express concern over China's actions vs PCG boats

Several countries — including the United States, Canada, Australia and Japan — have condemned China’s recent aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

The National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) also slammed China's recent encroachment in Ayungin Shoal, calling its actions "bullying, harassment, and intimidation."

"The Chinese Coast Guard... [has] no right whatsoever to place a blockade or impede or otherwise control the movement of the Philippine Coast Guard in Ayungin Shoal or anywhere else in the West Philippine Sea, especially when they are undertaking a mission to resupply our troops stationed there," National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said in a press briefing Monday.

Malaya also called on the Chinese government to "cease and desist" from its activities in the disputed waters, noting that the Philippines would never abandon Ayungin Shoal.

"We will never abandon Ayungin Shoal. We are committed to Ayungin Shoal," he said.

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