Former House quad-committee (quad-comm) overall chairman Robert Ace Barbers says local government officials who habitually favor the interests of China over the Philippines should simply resign.

"The issue is not whether one is pro-China, pro-America, or aligned with any other foreign power. The only acceptable position for every public servant is to be unequivocally pro-Philippines," Barbers said in a statement on Saturday, Aug. 8.

The current House impeachment adviser says his call covers both officials who are openly and covertly advocating positions that are consistently in favor of China over the Philippines.

Barbers stressed that every government official--from the highest elective office to the lowest appointive position--took a solemn oath to preserve and defend the Constitution, protect the Republic, and faithfully serve the Filipino people.

This oath, he said, cannot be reconciled with acts or pronouncements that undermine the country's sovereign rights, territorial integrity, or national interests.

The moment a government official begins advancing the strategic interests of another country over those of our own, that official has betrayed the very essence of public service, he reckoned.

“Public office demands one allegiance dahil hindi ito “dual citizenship” - isang bandila lang ang dapat pinaglingkuran mo at ‘yan ay kung sino ang nagpapa-sweldo sa yo.. an official of this govt requires undivided loyalty.”

(Public office demands one allegiance because it is not “dual citizenship” — only one flag should be served, and that is the one who pays your salary. An official of this government requires undivided loyalty.)

He says that during Mondays and Fridays--in all government offices and in all school levels--Filipinos are required to attend Flag Raising and Flag Retreat activities, respectively, and all “sing our National Anthem” with a vow of "dying for the country" in times of foreign invasion or aggression.

The ex-solon from Surigao del Norte emphasized that his appeal was not directed at ordinary citizens who may hold differing opinions on foreign policy.

“Rather it is addressed to government officials who occupy positions of public trust, where their words, decisions, and policy recommendations directly affect national security, diplomacy, and the welfare of the Filipino people,” he said.

Barbers likewise underscored that calls for voluntary resignation, as pronounced publicly by Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gibo Teodoro, would help preserve the integrity of government institutions by eliminating any lingering doubts about possible conflicts between personal convictions and official responsibilities.

“Public office demands not only competence but also the confidence of the people that government decisions are made exclusively in the national interest,” he said.