President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has turned down proposals to declare Chinese embassy officials persona non grata, choosing not to take steps that could heighten friction between Manila and Beijing.
“No ang sagot ng Pangulo,” Communications Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters, without elaborating.
Malacañang earlier said the President was closely monitoring the public exchanges between Philippine officials and the Chinese Embassy, stressing his preference for a policy of “firm action with diplomacy.”
Chinese diplomats in Manila have faced backlash for attacking Filipino lawmakers and Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela, sparking resolutions in Congress and a symbolic persona non grata declaration by Kalayaan, Palawan.
Observers noted Beijing’s sharper tone since Ambassador Jing Quan assumed his post, coinciding with more frequent maritime confrontations in the West Philippine Sea.
Manila continues to assert its position under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral ruling, which invalidated China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea.