Sara Duterte not siding with China amid Chinese ambassador issue —spox

Vice President Sara Duterte is not siding with Beijing amid the heated exchange between Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan and other Philippine government officials, her spokesperson said Wednesday.

“Hindi naman po kinakampihan ni VP Sara ang China sa usaping ito— ‘yung parang word war na nangyayari between the ambassador and our government officials,” lawyer Paolo Panelo said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(VP Sara is not siding with China on this issue— the ongoing war of words between the ambassador and our government officials.)

“Ang pananaw po ni VP Sara diyan, dapat po ‘yung mga politicians, kasama na po siya, hindi po makisawsaw sa issue na ‘yan dahil ang dapat nakikipag usap sa China ay ang mga diplomats natin,” he added.

(VP Sara’s view on that is that politicians, including herself, should not meddle in that issue because our diplomats are the ones who should be talking to China.)

He issued the remark when sought for comment on Duterte’s thoughts on the matter.

Panelo said Duterte believes the situation should be “deescalated.”

“Ang position niya po si dapat bring the temperature down, diba. I-deescalate itong tension at hayaan ang mga diplomats natin sa Department of Foreign Affairs na makipag usap at ayusin itong gusot na ito sa China,” he said.

(Her position is that we should bring the temperature down, right? De-escalate the tension and let our diplomats at the Department of Foreign Affairs talk to China and resolve this dispute.)

Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed a resolution urging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to declare Jing Quan persona non grata or request the Chinese government to recall him.

Following this, the Chinese Embassy in Manila stated that if its diplomats are unwelcome, it will respond with equal treatment.

This stemmed after Jing Quan’s remark that while China could easily win if it used force against the Philippines, it chooses peace instead. —Joahna Lei Casilao/ VAL, GMA News