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Senator Risa Hontiveros on Tuesday, April 18, brushed off the clarification of controversial Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian that his statement on the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Taiwan was misquoted. Hontiveros had earlier advised Malacañang to ask Beijing to recall Huang for shamelessly advising the Philippines to go slow on Taiwan’s independence stance as it might affect the livelihood of about 150,000 OFWs working in Taiwan. She said Huang could not have been misquoted because there was no translation of his speech. The speech was in English, not in Chinese, she stressed. Hontiveros said the envoy should recalled as he was very undiplomatic and does know how to deal with countries in a respectful manner. ‘’So, sama-sama na sila, siya, yung mga barko nila, yung mga artificial island nila sa West Philippine Sea (WPS), dapat nang umalis sa mga teritoryo natin (He, along with their ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea should leave Philippine territory). Mag-empake na sila, umalis na sila (They should pack up and go),’’ she said. Hontiveros said the fate of OFWs in Taiwan was not in the hands of Beijing. She said Filipinos, through social media, are angrily moving for  a government move to declare Huang a persona non grata. The lady lawmaker said it is China that is stoking regional tension by refusing to honor a United Nations (UN) tribunal ruling that rejected its historical claim over the vast South China Sea, and, more recently, by its military exercises near Taiwan. China is claiming Taiwan as part of its territory.
The tribunal ruling invalidated China's nine-dash line claim, which encompassed much of the WPS.