(Pixabay)

Chinese diplomats who misbehave or don't know how to follow laws in the Philippines should be sent home and replaced with "better ones". 

Manila 6th district Rep. Bienvenido "Benny" Abante Jr. and Lanao del Sur 1st district Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong shared this opinion amid allegations of illegal wiretapping of a supposed phone call betwen a Chinese embassy official and a senior Philippine military officer. 

The two congressmen comcurred with the recent statements of Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and National Security Adviser Sec. Eduardo Año that Chinese Embassy officials must be expelled for the alleged wiretapping on the “new deal” over Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS). 

For Abante, envoys who have a penchant for assailing the Philippine government should be sent packing. 

In my own opinion, matagal na dapat nating inexpel yan eh. I mean saan ka nakakita ng Chinese diplomat na masama palagi sinasabi sa Pilipinas? You’re a diplomat di ba? I mean, dapat maganda palagi sa sinasabi mo eh,” Abante, chairman of the House Committee on Human Rights, said during a recent press conference. 

(They should have been expelled a long time ago. I mean, where have you seen a Chinese diplomat who always says bad things about the Philippines? You're a diplomat right? I mean, you should always talk about the good things.) 

“[But] whenever he would speak, he would always speak against our policy, against what we want. Sana naman kung diplomat siya, ang gagawin niya parang, ano yan eh, shuttle iyan (If that person is a diplomat, then what the person should do is be a shutte), you’re shuttling between China and the Philippines. That is the work of a diplomat,” he added, without naming anybody in particular. 

“Pero hindi eh (But that isn't the case). This Chinese diplomat is saying things against the Philippines, so dapat talaga i-expel na iyan--my own personal opinion,” noted the former deputy speaker. 

For Adiong, chairman of the House Ad Hoc Committee on Marawi Rehabilitation and Victims Compensation, the fact that Chinese embassy officials allowed the alleged illegal wiretapping of a conversation with a senior Philippine military official is enough reason to replace them. 

“Hindi ho puwede yan. Tama nga po yung sinabi ni Manong Benny, pag diplomat ka you have to present yourself diplomatically. Why do you need to tap? Ano ano ang intensyon mo? Of course, ang intensyon mo doon is to, ito ang ginagamit yata in espionage,” di ba? said Adiong, who added that it's against the law. 

(You can't do that. What Manong Benny said is correct, if you're a diplomat then present yourself like one. Why do you need to tap? What are your intentions? Of course, your intention is to, this is used for espionage, right?) 

"Pag diplomat ka (If you're a diplomat), you have to be diplomatic, even in the way you act, the way you speak. And on the part of the Philippines, our country, I think it's better also that we can ask China to send a better one,” said the assistant majority leader. 

He said that the WPS issue isn't the end all, be all of Philippine-China, as the two nations have numerous bilateral agreements. 

“Instead of promoting that and ensuring that these two countries have a healthy working relationship, sinisira mo (you're destroying it) by means of illegally wiretapping information that is classified, that can also be of national interest. Maybe China can send us a better one,” Adiong said.