Sen. Hontiveros: Recall Chinese Envoy for Inability to Engage in ‘Respectful’ Manner

Senator Risa Hontiveros urged the Palace to tell China to recall its envoy this weekend over his remarks regarding Taiwan’s independence and the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there.

The diplomat on the receiving end of Hontiveros’ lambasting is the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian due to his inability of engaging in “a respectful and dignified manner.”

“The Palace should tell Beijing to recall their representative in Manila as soon as possible. He has no business being a diplomat if he is unable to engage with us in a respectful and dignified manner,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

The senator added that the envoy, along with the Chinese ships in the West Philippine Sea, should go with him back to China.

“He, along with his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea, should pack up and leave,” she added.

This comes after Huang said last week in a forum in Manila that the Philippines should oppose Taiwan’s independence if the country cares about the OFWs working there.

The Chinese diplomat also accused the Philippines of “stoking the fire” between it and the United States (US), due to the recent strengthening of the US-Philippine alliance, against China.

“Philippines is advised to unequivocally oppose ‘Taiwan Independence’ rather than stoking the fire by offering the US access to the military bases near the Taiwan Strait if you care genuinely about the 150,000 OFWs,” Huang was quoted saying.

The National Security Council (NSC) through Assistant Director General and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said on Saturday that National Security Adviser Eduardo M. Año made the Philippine stance on the cooperation deal clear, saying that the purpose of the security cooperation between the two countries is “to develop and strengthen the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to enable it to protect and defend the territory of the Philippines.”

“The NSC wishes to clarify that the Philippines has no intention of interfering in the Taiwan issue and will not allow itself to be used by other countries to interfere in the said issue as claimed by the Chinese Ambassador in the Philippines in a forum in Manila,” Malaya added.

Hontiveros then said that it is China that is dragging the Philippines into its standoff with the US.

“If China has issues with the US, she shouldn’t drag our country into their fight. It is China who has been stoking tensions in the region, claiming territories that aren’t hers,” Hontiveros said in her statement, adding “It is China who continues to bully, harass, and intimidate other smaller nations in the region. It is China who is making all this mess“. (GFB)