Filipinos deserve an apology from Chinese envoy, says Tarriela

MANILA — Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan must at least apologize to the Filipino people following his remarks over use of force, said Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela.

Tarriela said he is not in the position to join lawmakers in calling for the declaration of the Chinese envoy as persona non grata, but the least the ambassador could do is to apologize.

“The Chinese embassy has been saying a lot of things in the past days, and para sakin, wala naman sya sign of regret, he doesn’t even intend to apologize or say anything, as a result of those threatening statements,” he said.

Tarriela has often been in crossfires with the Chinese embassy, as they have been exchanging barbs over issues in the West Philippine Sea.

“I think the Filipino people deserve better, at least apologize, be man enough to say that you threatened the Filipino people,” he said.

“Ang tinakot dito ay bawat isang Pilipino. We are not sinophobic, we are not against China. We are against its people, ang nagiging dahilan ng concern, Chinese presence sa West PH Sea, the harassment at pambubully,” Tarriela added.

Meanwhile, in a new post by the Chinese embassy, Jing claimed his statements were taken out of context.

“The DFA statement claims that my remarks seem to convey a thinly veiled ‘threat’. I cannot agree. What is threat? If you don’t follow me, I will hurt you. This is threat. But my point is despite our capacity, we don’t have the intention to use force. Because we are friends and close neighbors. There is no need to resort to force,” the embassy statement read.

“Peace is hard-won in this region. We should cherish the peace. This is not called “threat”, but the effort to uphold peace. On maritime disputes, China has exercised great restraint. However, the Philippines should not take it as weakness, and further challenge our patience regardless of boundary and bottom line,” they added.

“We hope the Philippine side will fully and accurately understand our position and views, and avoid selective quotation, over-interpretation and over-reaction.”

During the Department of National Defense’s budget hearing on Monday, Defense Secretary Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro said China’s People’s Liberation Army employs influence and propaganda activities as part of its broader strategy.

“Admitido naman po sila (China), na part po ng United Front Work, na pillar ng kanilang Communist Party,” he said, noting that the initiative is a party, not state, activity.

Teodoro made the statement in response to the inquiry of Sen. JV Ejercito, whose video statement in response to the Chinese ambassador garnered hundreds of comments on social media. 

The defense secretary underscored that allowing China’s narratives on disputed waters to go unchallenged could normalize its claims among the public. 

“Mabuti na pong manindigan tayo kaysa sa mawala pa sa atin by default,” he said.

Ejercito urged Filipinos to remain vigilant against possible disinformation and influence operations. — With a report from Marilyn Cahatol, ABS-CBN News