Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela slammed Filipinos who are defending China despite the recent incident between Manila and Beijing over a confrontation on the West Philippine Sea, dubbing them 'unpatriotic’ and ‘traitors.’

Tarriela said that a Filipino, whether in government or the private sector and regardless of politics, who defends and makes excuses for China’s harassment should be deemed unpatriotic and a traitor to the Philippines and the people.

"All Filipinos should unite in calling out China's aggressive and unlawful actions in the West Philippine Sea," he said in a tweet.

And while Filipinos have the constitutional right to freely voice their opinions on the issue, the PCG officials said the freedom of speech should not be misused to defend Beijing.

Without disclosing the individuals to whom he was referring, Tarriela said that Filipinos should stand united in protecting the nation’s interests and pursuing a peaceful resolution to the issues.

He asserted that the riches of the West Philippine Sea are for Filipinos.

Meanwhile, National Security Council assistant director general Jonathan Malaya said in a press conference on Monday that the Philippines will never abandon Ayungin Shoal.