PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has rejected calls to declare Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan as persona non grata, Malacañang said Friday, amid an escalation in the dispute between Manila and Beijing over the West Philippine Sea.
“The President’s answer is no ... When it comes to such issues, the President said: no,” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters.
Some senators said they were considering filing a resolution that would recommend to the president to declare certain Chinese Embassy officials persona non grata amid a heated exchange with Philippine government officials over aggressive Chinese actions in the West Philippine Sea.
On Thursday, Malacañang said Marcos wanted to resolve the row with “firm action with diplomacy.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), through a statement to the Palace, also warned that declaring a foreign official persona non grata was one of the most severe forms of diplomatic action that could be imposed by the government against foreign diplomatic personnel.
“While it is within the remit of the DFA, such an action is an option of last resort, second only to downgrading of relations when diplomatic relations with the certain country have seriously fractured that no intervening remedy can stabilize the interaction and engagement,” Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said.
“It also carries tremendous implications moving forward such as reciprocal action or other countermeasures in other areas, which is why it should not be made lightly, and decided only with careful and clear thought and preparedness for how it will shape the Philippines’ strategic interest moving forward,” Lazaro said.
“It is hoped that the DFA would be provided with ample space to perform its functions and to sort out issues with foreign counterparts through dialogue and consultation rather than through public discourse in accordance with the President’s vision and guidance as the architect of Philippine foreign policy,” she said.
The Chinese Embassy said Jing would leave the Philippines “with immense pride and honor” should Marcos declare him persona non grata.