Senators on Wednesday reminded President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to take extra precautions in dealing with Taiwan after the latter’s congratulatory message to Lai Ching-te for winning Taiwan’s presidential election drew the ire of China.

“Since we have a One-China policy, it has been for like 40 to 50 years. Since that is our decision, as much as possible, our official actions should be consistent with our decision,” Senate Minority Leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III told reporters in a chance interview at the Senate.

Noting the issue’s sensitivity, Pimentel added that the President should have been “sensitive” to China’s feelings.

“If we have a One-China policy, we should be sensitive about the point of view or belief of China that we are recognizing,” he said.

“If China feels that Taiwan is a renegade province, then they held an election, do we go out of our way to greet the winner of that renegade province?” he added.

Opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros also reminded Marcos to be consistent with the Philippines’ position.

“The administration should get its act together. We cannot have the President, the chief architect of foreign policy, say one thing, while the Department of Foreign Affairs says another,” Hontiveros said in a separate statement.

She added: “In any case, China has no business telling Filipinos what to say or not. They do not have any rights to order us in the same manner that they do not have rights to sail in the West Philippine Sea.”

Hontiveros reiterated her call to review the so-called One-China Policy.

“China has done far worse things in our territories compared to a congratulatory message to Taiwan,” she said.

On Monday, the President congratulated Taiwan’s Lai, stressing that he looks forward to working with him.

“On behalf of the Filipino people, I congratulate President-elect Lai Ching-te on his election as Taiwan’s next President,” Marcos said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

He noted that he looks forward to “close collaboration, strengthening mutual interests, fostering peace, and ensuring prosperity for our peoples in the years ahead.”

Serious violation

China did not take Marcos Jr.’s greetings lightly, warning the Philippines not to “play with fire.”

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines reiterated that the remarks made by the president “seriously violate[d] the one-China principle and constitute an act of gross interference in China’s internal affairs.”

“China strongly opposes such remarks and has made immediate and solemn démarches to the Philippines from both Beijing and Manila,” the Embassy said in a statement.

It added: “There is but one China in the world. Taiwan is an inalienable part of China’s territory, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China.”

According to the embassy, President Marcos is the only state leader among the 182 countries with China diplomatic relations who congratulated the newly elected Taiwan president.

In a press conference on Tuesday, China Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime Florcruz was summoned to lodge China’s “solemn representations” against Marcos’ remarks.

During the meeting, Mao said Florcruz was urged to provide China a “responsible explanation.”

“We advise President Marcos to read more and correctly understand the ins and outs of the Taiwan issue so as to draw correct conclusions,” she added.

The Department of Foreign Affairs explained that Marcos’ message to Lai was “his way” of expressing gratitude to Taiwan for hosting overseas Filipino workers on the self-ruled island.

“The Philippines and Taiwan share mutual interests, which include the welfare of nearly 200,000 OFWs in Taiwan,” the DFA said in a separate statement. “The message of President Marcos congratulating the new president was his way of thanking them for hosting our OFWs and holding a successful democratic process.”