Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday, February 24 she will not attend the Senate’s meeting with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan despite the efforts of her colleagues to hold dialogues with the envoy over his negative remarks against senators. 

“I will not go to the meeting with the Chinese Ambassador. At this point in time, just in case, because he said a lot about our resolution,” Hontiveros said in Filipino during an interview, referring to Senate Resolution No. 256, which the Upper Chamber earlier approved.

Senate Resolution No. 256 primarily condemned the Chinese Embassy in Manila over its disrespectful remarks against Filipino officials and their interference on West Philippine Sea issues.

“For me, even in interpersonal relationships, the same principle applies to international relationships,” she said.

“If you say something wrong, don't skip the step of acknowledging what you said wrong, apologize, start making amends before you invite us in a meeting. That's just me, because for me it's the same in personal relationships. And it's probably not difficult for a diplomat to understand that,” she stressed.

On Monday, February 23, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, chairman of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, met with Jing in a hotel in Pasay City for a dialogue. According to Tulfo, they “engaged in a dialogue focused on maintaining open communication lines” between the Philippines and China. 

This after the Senate, some top government officials engaged in a word war with Chinese embassy officials over rhetorics on the West Philippine Sea.

According to Tulfo, the Chinese ambassador raised the use of a caricature to depict Chinese President Xi Jinping but he explained that the Philippines operate in a democracy.

“He claimed that they were hurt. He said he hoped we’d understand that in other places leaders , like in Thailand, would put you in jail if you say anything wrong against them,” Tulfo said.

“But I told him, we’re a democratic country, even some protesters would burn down the effigy of our leaders. We don’t complain, our leaders don’t complain,” he said.