Mamamayang Liberal Partylist Rep. Leila de Lima on Wednesday criticized the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, accusing Beijing of spreading falsehoods and intimidation over the West Philippine Sea.
“Beware of the one who speaks with forked tongue,” de Lima said.
Her remarks came after the Chinese Embassy rejected a statement by the Philippine National Maritime Council, accusing the Philippines of blurring the distinction between territorial waters and the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), provoking tensions, and refusing dialogue.
The embassy also blamed Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela for allegedly spreading “twisted, manipulative and provocative narratives.”
De Lima described the embassy’s statement as “Orwellian doublespeak,” saying it distorted facts to mask China’s own actions in the WPS.
“If the Chinese Embassy chooses to spread lies about China’s aggression in the WPS and target Philippine officials for doing their job in calling out said aggression, instead of letting Beijing itself dish out the hostility, it might as well stop pretending to be a diplomatic mission and convert itself into just another Chinese troll farm,” she said.
The lawmaker stressed that the Philippines has no overlapping EEZ with China, noting the vast distance between the two countries and dismissing Beijing’s claims as legally baseless.
“There is nothing that blurs the distinction between territorial sea and EEZ more than China’s preposterous and infantile nine-dash line fairy tale that, surprisingly, it keeps on using in serious international legal forums, expecting the rest of the world to be so stupid as to take it seriously,” she added.
De Lima also accused China of ignoring its own history of aggression in the Spratly Islands and Scarborough Shoal, including large-scale island-building and the establishment of multiple military outposts.
“It also failed to mention its own aggressive actions against Philippine fisherfolk and PCG personnel when it purportedly defends an imaginary Chinese coast 1,000 kilometers away from China. It is not the Philippines’ fault when the Chinese ram their own ships while chasing PCG vessels,” she said.
She warned that Beijing’s actions go beyond diplomacy.
“They are not asking us to be their friends. They are asking the Philippines to be their vassal. That is what the intimidation, aggression, and violence in the WPS is all about,” de Lima stressed.