The Chinese Embassy in Manila pushed back against former Senator Francis Tolentino’s call for the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to summon Chinese envoys, saying the former lawmaker has already been sanctioned and barred from Chinese territories.
Chinese Embassy deputy spokesperson Guo Wei addressed the issue in a social media post on Friday.
“The individual (Tolentino) was sanctioned by China on July 1, 2025,” Guo said. “We have no further comment on his remarks, as they do not warrant a response.”
Tolentino earlier urged the DFA to summon embassy officials following what he described as interference in Senate deliberations over an adopted resolution.
“Bakit pinakikialaman ninyo na itong debate sa Senado … Nakialam na doon sa pinagsasasabi ng ating mga senador. They should respect the Senate as an institution. They should respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state, which is the Philippines, as part of the (Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations),” he said during a Kapihan sa Manila Bay forum.
The exchange stemmed from remarks made by a Chinese envoy who labeled the approved Senate resolution as “anti-China” and a “political stunt,” drawing responses from several lawmakers.
On February 9, after nearly two weeks of heated debates, the Senate adopted a resolution censuring statements from the Chinese Embassy against Filipino officials who sided with the Philippines in relation to the West Philippine Sea dispute.
Earlier this week, the DFA also called on the embassy to temper its tone amid the back-and-forth with lawmakers.
Guo’s statement referred to sanctions imposed on Tolentino that bar him from entering mainland China and its special administrative regions due to his alleged “egregious conduct on China-related issues.”
Tolentino described the sanction as both an “honor” and a “testament” to his continuing commitment to protect the country’s sovereignty.
During his tenure as chairperson of the Senate Special Committee on Philippine Maritime and Admiralty Zones, Tolentino authored key measures defining the Philippines’ archipelagic baselines, maritime zones, and archipelagic sea lanes.