VICE President Sara Duterte was not siding with China when she described the Philippines as a “troublemaker” in the Southeast Asian region, her spokesman Salvador Paolo Panelo Jr. said on Wednesday, rejecting claims that her remarks reflected support for Beijing.
“Vice President Sara is not siding with China on this issue,” Panelo said in a radio interview.
Panelo said Duterte believed politicians should not politicize the Philippines’ relationship with China or make statements that could escalate tensions, arguing that diplomatic engagement should be led by the Department of Foreign Affairs under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s direction.
“Being patriotic doesn’t mean that you have to escalate a fight with another country,” he said.
He cited the Philippines’ economic ties with China, including its reliance on Chinese imports, its export market and Filipinos working in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao, warning that worsening relations could hurt ordinary Filipinos and businesses.
“If politicians politicize this China issue, those who will be affected will not be them, but ordinary Filipinos and businesses that rely on relations with China,” Panelo said.
He added that Duterte recognized the 2016 arbitral ruling on the South China Sea, which rejected the legal basis for China’s expansive maritime claims. Duterte’s position, he said, was that the ruling should be used in a way that would not endanger Filipino military personnel, the Navy and the Coast Guard.
Panelo also maintained that trade with China should not automatically be treated as a national security risk, stressing that the country’s relationship with Beijing involves economic and diplomatic interests beyond their maritime dispute.
Earlier this month, the vice president criticized the Marcos administration’s foreign policy stance against Beijing. After it was revealed during her impeachment trial that one of the businesses of her husband received P319 million from Chinese state-owned companies, Duterte said it was not illegal to do business with China. She also remarked that the Philippines is becoming the “troublemaker of Southeast Asia” — a common talking point favored by Chinese officials.
Change Jing
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party (LP) of the Philippines on Wednesday called on the Chinese government to replace its ambassador to the Philippines.
Its call came amid comments from Ambassador Jing Quan that China can win easily in a war against the Philippines.
“We don’t want war, but we will fight for what is rightfully ours,” the party said in a statement.
“There is no place for disrespect toward Filipinos, especially coming from a representative of another country,” it added in Filipino.
While the opposition party said that strengthening ties between the Philippines and China is important, what is at stake is not just the West Philippine Sea, but also trade, business and other aspects of the bilateral relationship between the two Asian countries.
“But how can we strengthen diplomatic ties when statements made by the Chinese ambassador himself are perceived as disrespectful to the Filipino people?” the party said.
“Our appeal to the Chinese government is this: replace Ambassador Jing Quan and appoint a representative who can genuinely promote a peaceful, respectful and constructive relationship with the Philippines,” it added.
Several Filipino politicians called for the expulsion of Jing, following his controversial comments.
“We may have different positions on issues of sovereignty and the West Philippine Sea. However, this does not mean we can no longer engage in dialogue with mutual respect,” the LP stated.
“Diplomacy does not mean surrender. Friendship does not mean abandoning our rights,” it said.
