‘We will not be silenced’: Senators hit back at Chinese Embassy

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February 11, 2026 | 2:16pm

MANILA, Philippines — Senators are hitting back at the Chinese Embassy in Manila, saying it is in no position to try to silence Philippine officials.

The Chinese Embassy slammed the Senate resolution condemning its envoy’s statements against Philippine lawmakers and officials, calling it a mere political stunt.

Senate President Tito Sotto was not having any of it.

“It seems like the Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines wanted to silence this august chamber by calling us hypocrites and ignorant by issuing our stand through this resolution,” Sotto told reporters in a message.

“He is claiming that we are intimidating Chinese diplomats yet he continues to speak disrespectfully against us and calling the Senate resolution a mere political stunt. I can say the same thing to him that he knows little about how diplomacy works. Respect begets respect,” he added.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros, one of the officials the Chinese Embassy criticized, also thumbed down the embassy’s recent statement.

“We will not be silenced or deterred by statements from foreign actors. We will continue to use lawful instruments, including resolutions, to put these matters on record, kahit isang milyon pa ang pahayag laban dito. This is our constitutional duty,” Hontiveros said in a statement.

Hontiveros stressed that no matter how many resolutions the Senate passes, the real issue boils down to China’s harassment of Filipinos in the West Philippine Sea.

“We are always open to cooperation, exchange, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. However, the Chinese government in Beijing must first demonstrate good faith by ceasing its harassment of our vessels in the West Philippine Sea,” she said.

Sen. Erwin Tulfo, who had choice words for the Chinese Embassy when the issue first broke, said the embassy stands on Philippine soil — it is merely a visitor.

"Let me reiterate again, we have the freedom of expression, the freedom of speech. It is contained in our Constitution. So no one can say that we cannot express ourselves freely in our own country, that we cannot speak. We cannot be dictated because this is our law,” Tulfo said.

The verbal war between Philippine officials and the Chinese Embassy has been ongoing since the installation of the new Chinese envoy, Jing Quan.

Quan and the rest of the Chinese Embassy have been more vocal in spreading pro-Beijing messaging, publicly naming Philippine officials who reasserted the country’s claim over the West Philippine Sea.