SEN. Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to take action against what she described as unacceptable public attacks by the Chinese Embassy in Manila on Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman Commodore Jay Tarriela for defending the country’s position in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
In a letter addressed to Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Hontiveros sought clarification on the steps the department intends to take to ensure that foreign diplomatic missions observe the bounds of proper diplomatic conduct and refrain from publicly targeting Filipino officials.
“China has already been disrespecting our oceans, and now even our officials. We must not allow the Chinese Embassy — or any embassy, for that matter — to disrespect public servants who are simply defending what is rightfully ours. I expect the DFA to take this matter seriously,” Hontiveros said in both Filipino and English in a statement.
The senator stressed that the Philippine foreign service has long upheld the principle that disputes between states should be addressed through established diplomatic channels, not through public statements or social media posts aimed at individual government officials.
Allowing such actions to pass without response, she warned, risks normalizing foreign interference, undermining the dignity of Philippine institutions, and potentially endangering officials tasked with safeguarding the country’s national interests.
“The Chinese Embassy is acting as if it is the victim. It is their country that fires water cannons at our personnel, threatens our fisherfolk, and destroys our marine environment. We, Filipino public servants, will continue to speak the truth — and if that hurts their fragile egos, so be it,” Hontiveros added.
The senator’s remarks came in response to a sharply worded statement released by the Chinese Embassy in Manila, quoting Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun, who issued a stern warning directed at unnamed Philippine individuals.
“A word of advice to relevant individuals in the Philippines: immediately stop making provocations and stop confusing right and wrong, or they will pay the price for what they did,” the statement said.
Beijing accused Tarriela of “maliciously spreading disinformation” and “wantonly smearing China’s image,” saying it had lodged “strong protests” with the Philippine government. It further alleged that “certain Philippine uniformed service members,” driven by “personal political motives,” have repeatedly made “outrageous and absurd statements” and have incited confrontation between the two countries.
“Such behavior is despicable,” the Chinese spokesman added.
The exchange marks the latest escalation in the rhetorical tussle between Manila and Beijing over territorial disputes in the WPS.
In recent months, the PCG has adopted a more assertive strategy, regularly releasing photos, videos, and incident reports documenting encounters with the Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels during patrols and resupply missions in disputed waters.
As PCG spokesman, Tarriela has been at the forefront of this communications effort, providing frequent briefings to the media and posting updates online to counter what Philippine officials describe as China’s “gray zone” tactics.