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Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
February 15, 2026 | 12:00am
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson on February 10, 2026.
STAR / Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson yesterday said he would propose a formal sit-down meeting between senators and officials of the Chinese embassy to de-escalate the weeks-long exchange of heated rhetoric regarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Lacson intends to urge Senate President Vicente Sotto III to arrange the dialogue, viewing the Chinese ambassador’s recent remark of “let’s talk” as a “pleasant surprise” and a potential off-ramp from the ongoing diplomatic row.
“That’s a breath of fresh air. I think that’s a good opening so we can go in that direction,” Lacson told radio dwIZ.
He suggested the meeting could be held at the Senate, the embassy grounds or a neutral venue.
The senator emphasized that the dialogue should ideally include colleagues who have been the subject of the embassy’s recent tirades, such as Senators Risa Hontiveros and Francis Pangilinan.
“This is better. It is different when face to face, you are more cordial and professional instead of having us debate in the session,” Lacson said.
He noted that the primary goal of the meeting is not necessarily to resolve the territorial dispute immediately, but to agree on a civilized manner of discourse to prevent further public flare-ups.
Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan last week urged Philippine officials to “sit down and talk” to manage maritime disputes, warning that confrontation between neighbors only results in long-term diplomatic damage.
Speaking at a Chinese New Year celebration, Jing lamented that political dialogue between Manila and Beijing had “nearly come to a standstill” for over a year, emphasizing that “nobody wants to resort to force” and that the situation must change quickly.
His appeal came just days after the Senate adopted a resolution condemning Chinese diplomats for hostile rhetoric – a move the embassy dismissed as a “political stunt” – and amid Beijing’s retaliatory ban on officials from Kalayaan, Palawan entering China.
The Chinese embassy’s threats of economic sanctions against the Philippines is not consistent with calls for peaceful resolutions in WPS, the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives said Friday.
The Makabayan bloc was reacting to the recent warning of the Chinese embassy that moves by some Philippine senators to target Chinese diplomats could jeopardize economic ties and cost millions of jobs.
“China’s government should dial down their rhetoric as well as cease their aggressive actions,” the Makabayan bloc said in a statement.
They added that the Philippine government should not escalate the already tense situation by towing the US line and allowing greater US involvement in the dispute in the form of increased US military presence in the Philippines.
In a strongly worded statement yesterday, embassy spokesman Ji Lingpeng asked Philippine senators who they think they are, emphasizing that the embassy is not intimidated nor threatened by such “tricks” and that some Philippine politicians are ignorant and arrogant. — Jose Rodel Clapano
