Senators: PH won't back down despite Chinese envoy's 'threats'

Several senators on Friday strongly denounced the supposed threats of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan that Beijing could “easily win” against the Philippines if it resorted to force.

Senate committee on foreign relations vice chairman Erwin Tulfo stressed that the Philippines’ resolve to settle maritime issues with China must not be mistaken for weakness.

“Let there be no doubt: Nobody in this world can bully the Philippines—whether through words or by force. Our sovereignty is not negotiable, our dignity is not for sale, and our resolve must never be mistaken for weakness,” Tulfo said.

“We do not take lightly the statement that China can ‘easily win’ if it uses force against the Philippines. As a peace-loving country that upholds democracy and international law, the Filipino people will not back down in the face of these threats,” he added.

Tulfo said that Filipinos will fight for the country’s sovereignty if threatened, just like in the past.

“We fought foreign invaders in the past with only crude weapons but a lot of courage, sweat, and blood - and we succeeded. We will do so again if our sovereignty is threatened once more. Sa Pilipino ang Pilipinas. Hindi kami pasisiil,” he said.

(The Philippines belongs to the Filipinos. We will not be oppressed.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros, meanwhile, described Jing’s statements as “gray zone aggression in diplomatic form, meant to intimidate and coerce while stopping just short of war.”

She said that China must be held accountable for Jing’s words and their actions in the West Philippine Sea.

“Let it be clear to China that no threat will make us surrender what is rightfully ours. The Philippines has only done what every law-abiding member of the community of nations would do—defend our rights through legal and diplomatic means,” Hontiveros said.

“An ambassador who threatens his host country has crossed a line. Summoning him is not enough,” she said.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Friday confirmed he will summon the Chinese Ambassador following his remarks, which the chief executive said “sounds very much like a threat, and it is not a very diplomatic statement to be made.”

Hontiveros said the Philippine government should instead demand a formal retraction and apology from Beijing over Jing’s statement.

“If none comes, the ambassador should be declared persona non grata,” she said.

“The Philippines must also raise this threat before ASEAN and the United Nations General Assembly. When one nation is threatened, every member-state that values international law is threatened too,” she added.

A social media post by Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, showed Jing being interviewed, where he said, "If we want to use force, we may easily win. But no, we will not use force. You know, we love peace, and in this region, we enjoy the peace."

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) urged the Chinese ambassador to exercise greater restraint in his public statements after his controversial remarks. —AOL, GMA News