Senator Risa Hontiveros (Senate PRIB)

Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, along with his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), should pack up and leave.

Senator Risa Hontiveros issued this statement following Huang’s advice to the Philippine government to ‘’unequivocally oppose Taiwan’s independence".

‘’These are truly disgraceful statements from Ambassador Huang Xilian. How dare he threaten us,’’ she said.

In a press statement, Hontiveros said that Philippine Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) would ‘’continue to work where they work. End of story."

‘’Filipinos will thrive and make a living according to our wishes. We will never let Beijing decide on the future of Filipino families. Their destiny is not in China’s hands.

‘’The Palace should tell Beijing to recall their representative in Manila as soon as possible," she said.

‘’He has no business being a diplomat if he is unable to engage with us in a respectful and dignified manner.

‘’He, along with his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), should pack up and leave," added Hontiveros.

‘’The Philippines will never interfere with the issue of Taiwanese independence. That is exclusively for the people of Taiwan to tackle.

‘’We, in the Philippines, respect the right of the Taiwanese people to self-determination, and this right must be upheld by all other nations that share this planet, even including the autocratic regime of China," she stressed.

‘’If China has issues with the US, she shouldn’t drag our country into their fight. It is China who has been stoking tensions in the region, claiming territories that aren’t hers.

‘’It is China who continues to bully, harass, and intimidate other smaller nations in the region. It is China who is making all this mess," noted Hontiveros.

Following China’s military exercises near Taiwan territory, Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go urged the government to prioritize the welfare of over 150,000 in Taiwan whose livelihoods might be at risk.