MANILA, Philippines — A resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to recommend declaring Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata was filed at the Senate on Monday.
Sen. Erwin Tulfo filed Senate Resolution No. 739 following Jing’s statement that China “may easily win” if it wanted to use force in a confrontation over the West Philippine Sea.
The resolution sought to “urge the Department of Foreign Affairs to recommend to the appropriate authorities the declaration of Ambassador Jing Quan as persona non grata, in view of the severity of his remarks and their implications for Philippine sovereignty, national dignity, and bilateral relations.”
READ: China dares PH: Tag our envoy ‘persona non grata’
It also sought to “express [the Senate’s] serious concern over the remarks made by the Ambassador China to the Philippines Jing Quan suggesting the potential use of force against the Philippines.”
Since Oct. 16, a day after Jing made the statement in an interview, some lawmakers have expressed the need to declare him persona non grata in separate statements.
In response, the Chinese Embassy urged the declaration through its social media pages, saying it should be made or lawmakers should “stop bluffing.”
READ: Chinese embassy accuses Filipino reporters, politicians of twisting facts
The embassy pressed further on Sunday, characterizing the persona non grata declaration as “old and low tricks.”
“If they really want to do something, do it quickly and immediately, please,” the embassy added.
It also claimed that “anti-China politicians” who spoke about declaring Jing persona non grata “will not [be] welcome” to China. /mcm
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