Senators Risa Hontiveros and Erwin Tulfo condemned the recent remarks of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan against the Philippines, with Hontiveros calling for a formal retraction and apology from Beijing and warning that the envoy could be declared persona non grata.
In separate statements released on Oct. 16, the senators said the Philippines should not be intimidated by threats and must continue defending its sovereignty and rights under international law.
Hontiveros described the ambassador’s statements as “gray zone aggression in diplomatic form,” saying they were intended to intimidate and coerce the Philippines without reaching the threshold of war.
“Let it be clear to China that no threat will make us surrender what is rightfully ours,” Hontiveros said.
She said the Philippines had acted within the bounds of international law by defending its rights through legal and diplomatic means.
Hontiveros said summoning the ambassador would not be enough and urged the Philippine government to demand a formal retraction and apology from Beijing. If China failed to comply, she said, the envoy should be declared persona non grata.
She also called on the Philippines to raise the matter before the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations General Assembly, arguing that threats against one country also concern other nations that uphold international law.
“China must be held accountable for these words, as she must be for her actions in our waters,” Hontiveros said.
Tulfo, meanwhile, said the Philippines would not tolerate intimidation, whether through verbal threats or the use of force.
“Our sovereignty is not negotiable, our dignity is not for sale, and our resolve must never be mistaken for weakness,” he said.
He also rejected the reported remark that China could “easily win” if it used force against the Philippines, saying Filipinos would not back down in the face of threats.
As a country that upholds democracy and international law, the Philippines must stand firm in protecting its sovereignty, Tulfo said.
He invoked the country’s history of resisting foreign invaders, saying Filipinos had fought with limited weapons but with courage and sacrifice.
“We will do so again if our sovereignty is threatened once more,” he said.
Tulfo ended his statement with a declaration of national sovereignty: “Sa Pilipino ang Pilipinas. Hindi kami pasisiil.”
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