The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) warned Wednesday, 11 February 2026, that China’s retaliation—declaring Kalayaan officials in Palawan persona non grata—could strain the longstanding diplomatic relations between Beijing and Manila.
“While preventing the entry of foreign nationals into their territory is a country's sovereign prerogative, such actions do not contribute to fostering good and vibrant bilateral relations, especially in reinvigorating people-to-people interaction, which both the Philippines and China have committed to,” the DFA said.
In a separate statement, DFA spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva said that while the Philippines values meaningful dialogue with its foreign counterparts, it urged the Chinese embassy to respond in a "calm and professional manner," conscious of mutual respect in diplomatic interactions.
“We urge the Chinese embassy to be constructive in its statements, fostering healthy dialogue despite major differences, with the goal of advancing the overall bilateral relationship,” Villanueva added.
Beijing on Tuesday banned 16 officials of Kalayaan—the country’s most remote and least populated town in the West Philippine Sea—from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macao.
This is seen as a tit-for-tat move by Beijing after declaring Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan persona non grata within Kalayaan’s municipal jurisdiction for his supposed interference in Philippine internal affairs, in violation of Article 41, Section 1 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
The provision stipulates that state parties to the treaty are bound not to interfere in the host state's internal affairs. Both the Philippines and China are parties to the Vienna Convention.
The officials were signatories to the resolution passed by the town in late January, officially banning Jing’s entry.
They are Beltzasar Alindogan, Maurice Phillip Alexis Albayda, Nonelon Balbontin, Nonie Gapuz, Roberto Asiado, Hubert Llavan, Francis Polizon, Marilou Vales, Monico Abogado, Eugenio Bito-onon, Hermoso Ornopia, Tracylie Shierjun Malabayabas, Arzel Belidan, Vicencio Milan, Allan Dellosa, and Mary Cristina Lagrosa.
The declaration was seen as a double retaliatory move by China, which on the same day issued an inflammatory statement against the Senate following its adoption of a resolution condemning Jing and other Chinese embassy officials.
The embassy’s spokesperson Ji Lingpeng criticized the so-called “anti-China” resolution as a mere “political stunt” and said those who backed the adoption “disgrace themselves.”
The Chinese official also mocked senators as ignorant of how diplomacy works, yet brazen enough to sabotage efforts to improve China–Philippines ties.
The Senate adopted the resolution to affirm its support for legislators and other key government officials, like Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Jay Tarriela, who are being targeted for indecent remarks by the Chinese embassy over the maritime dispute.
Senator Erwin Tulfo, chair of the Senate committee on foreign relations, told reporters Wednesday that the DFA should summon Jing and compel him to “tone down” statements against Philippine officials.
The verbal spat followed the embassy’s filing of two diplomatic protests, compelling the Philippines to stop “turning a blind eye” and “tolerating” Tarriela's alleged “smear campaign” against President Xi Jinping.
The embassy specifically took offense with Tarriela’s Facebook post featuring a caricature of Xi with the title “Why China remains to be bully?” during a university forum in early January.
The embassy argued that although Tarriela’s “malicious” social media posts against China have been a recurring issue, the particular post constituted a “blatant political provocation” that had “crossed the red line.”
Tarriela, in response, said the diplomatic protests were a veiled effort by Beijing to “deflect” from their aggressive and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea.
China has asserted jurisdiction in the West Philippine Sea despite a 2016 arbitral ruling, which deemed Beijing’s expansive claims in the South China Sea as invalid.
China’s ongoing verbal attacks against Philippine officials add to past incidents, including military-grade laser pointing, boat collisions, and missile deployments in the area.