Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Tuesday urged the chamber to slow down on a proposed resolution targeting the Chinese Embassy, warning that the measure directly affects Philippine foreign policy and should first be reviewed at the committee level.
Cayetano said the issue was too sensitive for immediate floor action, stressing that institutional processes must be observed before the Senate adopts any formal position amid rising tensions over the West Philippine Sea.
“It is important to recognize that matters affecting foreign relations fall within established diplomatic frameworks,” he said in a statement.
In a January 27 letter to Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, Cayetano flagged procedural lapses, noting that the resolution was not part of the weekly agenda and was initially circulated only within the majority bloc, leaving the minority little time to study it.
Beyond procedure, Cayetano pointed to the broader diplomatic context, saying public rhetoric has already intensified and any Senate move could further inflame tensions.
He argued that a committee hearing would allow the Department of Foreign Affairs and foreign policy experts to present the full picture, including the current state of Philippines–China relations and the possible repercussions of congressional action.
The debate comes after several Senate allies of former President Rodrigo Duterte, who pursued closer ties with Beijing during his term, refused to sign a resolution condemning the Chinese Embassy in Manila for its verbal attacks on Philippine officials criticizing China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.