Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Tuesday raised the possibility of declaring a Chinese Embassy official in Manila “persona non grata” following criticisms against Philippine government officials who condemned Beijing’s incursions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Presiding over the Senate’s plenary session, Sotto said the chamber should carefully consider the option, stressing its diplomatic weight. He proposed that the matter be referred to the Senate Committee on Rules for study.
“I suggest that we study the possibility of declaring that particular person a persona non grata, and that is very serious when the Senate asks that,” Sotto said, referring to Chinese Embassy Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei.
Persona non grata is a formal declaration that a foreign diplomat or individual is no longer acceptable to a host country and may be barred or expelled due to misconduct.
Sotto’s remarks came as senators discussed a resolution censuring the Chinese Embassy for repeated verbal attacks on Philippine officials over WPS-related statements.
The controversy stemmed from heated exchanges between Chinese Embassy representatives and Philippine officials, including Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela and several senators, over China’s actions in contested waters.
Beijing has since filed a diplomatic protest against the Philippines in response to the dispute.