Detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Sunday opposed calls to declare Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata, arguing that such an impulsive action, although “understandable,” could have serious diplomatic consequences for the Philippines.
Estrada’s stance contradicts the position of several lawmakers who admonished Beijing’s top diplomat in Manila over his remarks about China’s ability to “easily win” a conflict with the Philippines through the “use of force,” while noting that Beijing prefers “peace.”
Estrada acknowledged that Jing’s statement was “unconstructive” and uncalled for but maintained that the Philippines could protest it through diplomatic dialogue without unnecessarily aggravating its already tense relationship with China over the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
“While I share the concern and indignation his words have stirred, we must protest strongly and demand respect, without closing the doors to dialogue. Hasty actions against the Chinese envoy’s statements will not lead to any good outcome,” his statement read.
He emphasized that the 2016 arbitral award gives Manila a legal advantage over China by providing a legal foundation for asserting its rights in the contested West Philippine Sea (WPS), which China claims as part of its territory.
Given this, Estrada contended that the Philippines need not respond in kind and should instead press Beijing to respect the arbitral ruling through diplomatic efforts rather than further escalating tensions by expelling the Chinese envoy.
"Our firmness is best shown not by raising our voices, but by standing steadfastly on the law, on the facts, and on our rights… Strength does not determine who owns the West Philippine Sea, but the law and the facts do, and these are clearly on our side,” he concluded.
Jing’s alleged “undiplomatic” statement drew the ire of Manila’s top officials. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. confirmed that he would summon the envoy, while a group of lawmakers proposed declaring him persona non grata in retaliation.
Dr. Chester Cabalza, founding president of International Development and Security Cooperation, agreed that Jing’s remark demonstrated the traits of a “wolf warrior diplomat” and that such an aggressive diplomatic style was “inappropriate.” However, he maintained that summoning the Chinese ambassador had proven “ineffective.”
Sen. JV Ejercito, Estrada’s estranged brother, echoed the call to expel Jing over his “very rude, very hostile, and very undeplomatic” comments.
He said the Senate was considering a resolution condemning the envoy’s remarks, which he described as threatening and damaging to the already strained Philippines-China bilateral relationship.
“He is adding fuel to the fire…He’s only making the conflict worse. It would be better to replace him, because this Chinese ambassador belongs to a group of people whose very character involves instigating [trouble]…It’s as if he’s doing it on purpose,” he said partly in Filipino during a radio interview.
The Chinese Embassy, over the weekend, dared lawmakers calling for Jing’s expulsion to “just do it.” It also criticized Ejercito for “bluffing again,” accusing him of engaging in such rhetoric “for show and for headlines.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs had already admonished Jing for his “thinly veiled threat” and “poor choice of words,” noting that diplomats must exercise “tact and restraint.”
The Chinese Embassy cried foul, accusing Philippine diplomats of “selective quotation and overinterpretation” of Jing’s statement.
Jing’s comments followed Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro’s description of China as a “troublemaker” in the region, after Teodoro echoed language previously used by a Beijing foreign ministry spokesperson against Manila.