Senator Panfilo Lacson planted the Philippine flag on Pag-asa, the largest Filipino-occupied island in the Spratlys that is also claimed by China, outdoing the nationalist rhetoric of his rivals in the 2022 presidential elections.
"Atin ang West Philippine Sea. Tayong mga Pilipino, hindi pasisiil," Lacson captioned a Facebook post of multiple photos on Saturday that documented his visit.
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China's aggression in the West Philippine Sea is emerging as one of the main issues in the 2022 campaign.
On Thursday, National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon said China could take over Ayungin Shoal, where a marooned Philippine Navy ship with troops on board is protecting the country's claim.
President Rodrigo Duterte over the last six years has sought to build closer diplomatic and trade ties with China, refusing to flaunt the Philippines' legal win before a UN-backed arbitration court in The Hague.
Acting on a case initiated by Duterte's predecessor, the late President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III, the court ruled that there was no legal basis to China's vast claims in the South China Sea, which includes the West Philippine Sea.