Philippines summons Chinese ambassador over sanctions vs Tolentino

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July 8, 2025 | 1:51pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has summoned China's ambassador to protest Beijing's imposition of sanctions against former Sen. Francis Tolentino, the Department of Foreign Affairs announced Tuesday, July 8. 

The department conveyed the Philippines' concern that China's "punitive measures" against public officials for carrying out their duties go against norms between sovereign states. 

"While the imposition of such sanctions falls within China's legal prerogative, the imposition of punitive measures against democratically elected officials for their official acts is inconsistent with the norms of mutual respect and dialogue that underpin relations between two equal sovereign states," Foreign Affairs Secretary Theresa Lazaro said in a statement, which Palace Press Officer Claire Castro read at a briefing on Tuesday. 

China announced sanctions against Tolentino on July 1, citing his “egregious conduct on China-related issues,” a day after his term as senator officially ended. This means Tolentino cannot enter China as well as the territories of Hong Kong and Macao, according to the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Beijing's foreign ministry said: "For some time, some anti-China politicians in the Philippines have adopted a series of malicious words and deeds on issues related to China for their own selfish interests, which have harmed China's interests and undermined China-Philippines relations."

Months before that, Tolentino presented evidence at a Senate hearing alleging that China's embassy in Manila had tapped a Makati-based public relations firm, Infinitus Marketing Solutions Inc., to spread pro-Beijing narratives and malign Philippine lawmakers critical of China's actions in the West Philippine Sea. 

Tolentino is also the principal author of two maritime laws that sought to delineate and codify the Philippines' maritime entitlements under international law. The Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, signed into law November 2024, had sparked condemnation from China.

But Tolentino had shrugged off the sanctions and called them a "badge of honor," saying he would stick to his stance of asserting what "rightfully belongs to our nation."

In her statement on Tuesday, the DFA chief "reminded the [Chinese] ambassador" that the Philippines values freedom of expression and constitutional separation of powers. Lazaro noted that senators and other elected officials have the mandate to inquire into matters of national and public interest.

Despite the pushback against sanctions, Lazaro said the Philippines "remains committed to addressing differences through diplomacy and dialogue and looks forward to continued constructive engagement with China to promote mutual understanding."

Tensions between the Philippines and China have increasingly roiled the disputed waters of the South China Sea, where confrontations between their coast guard and naval forces have grown more frequent and hostile. A 2016 ruling invalidated Beijing's sweeping claims over the waters, but China has never recognized this ruling.