Metro Manila, Philippines – Following intense debates, senators adopted a resolution condemning the Chinese Embassy in Manila’s public statements against Filipino officials.
The measure was adopted, subject to style and without any objections, on Monday, Feb. 9.
Ahead of the approval, the sponsor of the measure, Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan, got into a lengthy and heated debate with Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano.
Tensions flared over Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela’s use of caricatures of Chinese President Xi Jinping at an academic event. Photos of the event posted on social media prompted strong reactions from China.
Cayetano said Tarriela’s actions were rude and undiplomatic, while Pangilinan stressed that it was the Chinese embassy’s statements that were unacceptable.
“We cannot pass this resolution saying that Commodore Tarriela is correct because he’s wrong,” Cayetano said.
Pangilinan disagreed, calling it Cayetano’s interpretation.
At one point, Cayetano suggested posting memes of Pangilinan to illustrate how rude Tarriela’s actions were. Pangilinan protested, saying it was an unfair comparison. The session was suspended as the two senators raised their voices.
As the debate continued, Pangilinan noted that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr never castigated Tarriela for his remarks.
“If the good senator disagrees with it, as China disagrees with it… he’s free to do so,” Pangilinan said, referring to Cayetano.
Cayetano emphasized that while they agree on defending Philippine territory and sovereignty, they differ in opinion regarding Tarriela’s behavior.
He later proposed postponing a decision on the measure, arguing that it does not clearly list the statements being condemned.
Pangilinan countered that the adoption of the measure had already been postponed several times and said senators had “exhausted this debate.” He moved to close the period of interpellation.
During the period of amendments, Pangilinan enumerated a series of public statements from the Chinese embassy, beginning with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun’s Jan . 19 statement condemning Tarriela for allegedly smearing China’s image and announcing that China had lodged a diplomatic protest. The statement also called on relevant Filipino individuals to “immediately stop making provocations and stop confusing right and wrong, or they would pay the price for what they did.”
Pangilinan then enumerated the statements exchanged by Filipino and Chinese officials over the past weeks.
The latest resolution joined other measures passed by the Senate in previous Congresses denouncing China’s harassment activities in the West Philippine Sea. China continues to claim the entire South China Sea despite the 2016 arbitration ruling recognizing the Philippines’ sovereign rights within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
