MANILA, Philippines — Akbayan Partylist on Friday challenged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to expel Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan over his remarks that China could easily defeat the Philippines if it chose to use force.
Akbayan President Rafaela David said Jing should be sent home for threatening the Philippines on its own soil, calling on Marcos to demonstrate that such remarks carry diplomatic consequences.
“We challenge President Marcos Jr. to send this arrogant, troll and chauvinistic Chinese ambassador packing. No foreign power or its representative has the right to threaten us, least of all on our own soil,” David said.
David, who also co-convenes the Atin Ito Coalition, said Jing's continued presence in the country raised questions about the administration's resolve to defend Philippine sovereignty.
“What is the President waiting for? Talk is cheap. Every minute this Chinese ambassador remains in the country after issuing such a threat is an insult to the Filipino people,” she said.
“If Marcos cannot even send this belligerent ambassador home, how can we expect him to stand up to an aggressive foreign power and defend our country?” David added.
Jing drew criticism after telling journalists on Thursday that China could easily win if it chose to use force against the Philippines, before declaring that Beijing would not do so because it loved peace.
Akbayan said the Philippines' sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea were protected by international law, citing the 2016 arbitral award that rejected the legal basis of China's expansive maritime claims beyond the limits allowed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
“The Filipino people will not be bullied into surrendering our rights and territories. The government must make clear that threats against our sovereignty have consequences. Send Ambassador Jing Quan home,” David said.
