Solons: Declare Jing persona non grata
An increasing number of House legislators are calling for President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to classify Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan as persona non grata over his recent threatening remarks against the country.
In a resolution filed Wednesday, 10 lawmakers denounced Jing’s statements while citing incidents wherein the Chinese embassy attacked Philippine officials and instances that its forces had endangered the lives of Filipino sailors.
The lawmakers who signed the resolution were Akbayan Representatives Chel Diokno, Perci Cendana, and Dadah Ismula; Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-Ao; Mamamayang Liberal Rep. Leila de Lima; and Lanao del Sur Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong.
Also indicated as signatories were Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos, Pinoy Workers Partylist Rep. Karl Fernandez Legaspi, Albay Rep. Cielo Krisel Lagman and Zamboanga del Norte Rep. Adrian Michael Amatong.
A particular issue cited in the document involved the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) blocking the evacuation of a sick sailor from the BRP Sierra Madre through the use of water cannons. The transfer was reportedly delayed by more than eight hours.
It also noted that Quan dared members of Congress and the Executive to deem him persona non grata, telling them to “just do it” and “stop bluffing.”
He also accused local politicians and reporters of exaggerating the issue and allegedly taking it out of context to create “hype.”
“These incidents demonstrate China’s disregard for the sovereign rights of the Philippines and underscore the inconsistency between the Chinese government’s words and its actions,” the resolution read.
In light of their concerns, the lawmakers urged Marcos to take “decisive action” on the matter since he was vested with the executive power under the Constitution to have the primary authority when it came to foreign relations.
The resolution reiterated that Jing’s pronouncements undermined national sovereignty and threatened the state’s security.
Palace: Diversionary tactic?
Malacañang also questioned whether the controversy surrounding Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan’s remarks was deliberately diverting public attention from allegations that businesses linked to Vice President Sara Duterte had received Chinese funds.
During a Palace press briefing, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the public should not lose sight of the allegations amid the escalating exchange of remarks between Chinese officials and Filipino lawmakers.
Castro was asked about the proposed one-on-one meeting between President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Jing to discuss the ambassador’s statements, which Marcos had described as sounding like a threat. The Department of Foreign Affairs had also called the remarks “provocative and unacceptable.”
Castro said Marcos had to announce whether he would still summon Jing to the Palace, as he indicated last week.
Castro then detoured, saying too much fuzz might distract from the real issue — alleged multi-million Chinese funding to businesses linked to Vice President Sara Duterte, which Malacañang treats as a national security issue.
“However, what we want for now is to ensure that amid these heated exchanges, we do not lose sight of the bigger picture. We still need to address whether foreign countries are indeed funding the Vice President. The noise surrounding this controversy may be distracting us or leading us away from the real issue,” she said.
Probe coming
“So let us not forget that this issue still needs to be investigated. If these allegations prove to be true, then the Vice President is right in saying that this is a national security issue,” she added.
Castro said the Filipino people must judge whether the controversy involving Jing is overshadowing the real issue.
“We should not allow ourselves to be blinded by all the noise surrounding this issue. It is true that there has been a lot of heated discussion, and we also need to respond to protect our interests and those of the country. But there are other issues that must be confronted, and these appear to be getting buried,” Castro said.