Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Ched Rick Gatchalian

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1770874732697china.png" style="width:960px;display:block;height:auto" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Chinese flags are seen on buildings in the Huangpu district in Shanghai on February 20, 2025. Hector Retamal, AFP/File</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align:left"><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Chinese Embassy has maintained that &quot;certain&quot; Philippine senators have the supposed track record of being &quot;disrespectful&quot; to Chinese officials, following Senate President Vicente Sotto III&#x27;s statements criticizing the embassy. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/9/cayetano-pangilinan-clash-over-tarriela-resolution-on-china-1947">Senate adopts resolution condemning Chinese officials&#x27; remarks vs PH authorities after Pangilinan, Cayetano&#x27;s debate</a></div><p>Sotto earlier called out Ji Lingpeng, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines, for allegedly <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/10/sotto-blasts-chinese-embassy-over-criticism-of-senate-resolution-on-remarks-vs-ph-officials-2008">wanting to silence the upper chamber</a> by &quot;calling [them] hypocrites and ignorant&quot; due to their adoption of the resolution condemning the remarks of Chinese officials against Philippine authorities over the West Philippine Sea.</p><p>In a statement posted on its Facebook page on Wednesday night, the embassy&#x27;s spokesperson mentioned an instance where a Philippine senator told Chinese diplomats to &quot;Get the f*ck out!&quot; during a Senate plenary.</p><p>The embassy was pertaining to Sen. Erwin Tulfo&#x27;s speech, where Tulfo defended their resolution and told Chinese officials that they can leave the country if they refuse to honor Filipinos&#x27; freedom of speech.</p><p>&quot;You also say we are disrespectful. Yet some senators labelled China as bully, called the Chinese Embassy a &#x27;bad guest&#x27; or a &#x27;troll farm.&#x27; Is that what you call respect?&quot; the embassy wrote.</p><p>&quot;You keep claiming that the Chinese Embassy is trying to silence senators or the Senate. No one wants to silence you, and no one should be silenced. The reality is that certain senators have been repeatedly threatening and intimidating foreign embassy, even proposing to declare Chinese diplomats &#x27;persona non grata.&#x27; So who is trying to silence the other side?&quot; it added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/29/chinese-embassy-official-says-to-push-back-slanders-after-persona-non-grata-threat-0958">Chinese embassy says Marcos can expel China envoy, dares lawmakers on ‘persona non grata’ threat</a></div><p>The embassy stated that it serves as a &quot;bridge&quot; promoting friendly exchanges between the two countries, welcoming constructive dialogue and discussion, but it draws the line on supposed &quot;baseless attacks and smears.&quot;</p><p>&quot;If falsehoods are spread, if China is maliciously vilified, if hatred is incited, we will not stay silent. We will respond firmly and without hesitation. This is a right granted under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations and a core duty of any Chinese embassy,&quot; it said.</p><p>The embassy also emphasized that pressuring China through statements, resolutions, or &quot;endless&quot; complaints would not work.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/28/chinese-embassy-claims-tarriela-attacking-and-smearing-china-0105">Chinese embassy claims Tarriela ‘attacking and smearing’ China</a></div><p>&quot;That approach simply does not work. Those who seek to incite hatred and sabotage China–Philippines relations will not succeed, because we’re watching closely, and will debunk every lie and scheme whenever they arise.&quot;</p><p>When asked to react to the Chinese embassy&#x27;s latest tirade, Sotto said: &quot;When someone triggers you to react and you do not, it&#x27;s annoying! I prefer to be annoying!&quot;</p><p>Earlier this week, the Chinese embassy announced that it is banning officials of the town of Kalayaan in Palawan from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macao, following the Kalayaan local government&#x27;s declaration of Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Jing Quan as persona non grata within its municipal jurisdiction —  citing supposed violations of diplomatic protocol and interference in Philippine internal affairs.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/11/philippines-says-china-ban-vs-kalayaan-officials-does-not-foster-good-ties-1205">Chinese embassy bans Kalayaan officials from entering China</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEOS</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ASRa13OdS2U?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VxgJGpbvq6k?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/lSOUH270Zsw?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>The embassy also emphasized that pressuring China through statements, resolutions, or "endless" complaints would not work.</p>

The embassy also emphasized that pressuring China through statements, resolutions, or "endless" complaints would not work.

Chinese Embassy hits back at Sotto: Statements, resolutions pressuring China 'do not work'

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Traffic

Manila

Horoscope

Nation

Chinese Embassy hits back at Sotto: Statements, resolutions pressuring China 'do not work'

Ched Rick Gatchalian,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 12, 2026 01:57 PM PHT

Read More:

Chinese embassy

Tito Sotto

West Philippine Sea

Senate

Kalayaan Islands Group

Persona non grata

China

Philippines

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.