The Senate on Monday, February 9, adopted during its plenary session Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan’s proposed Senate resolution condemning the Chinese Embassy in Manila’s recent remarks against several lawmakers and public officials. Senate Resolution No. 256 was adopted, subject to amendments, following an interpellation by Senator Alan Peter Cayetano and a manifestation from Senator Rodante Marcoleta.

The resolution was signed by Senate President Vicente Sotto III, Senate Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson, Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri, and Senators Erwin Tulfo, Risa Hontiveros, Raffy Tulfo, Win Gatchalian, Loren Legarda, JV Ejercito, Bam Aquino, Jinggoy Estrada, Lito Lapid, Camille Villar, and Mark Villar. 

During the interpellation, Pangilinan—who sponsored the resolution—affirmed his hopes that the Philippines and China could manage their territorial and maritime disputes separately from their economic and trade ties. 

“Up to a certain extent, yes, definitely, we hope we could be able to distinguish between our territorial disputes as well as our desire for greater trade with China. We’d like to see something like that, yes,” he said. 

At the same time, the senator reiterated the need to stand against China and rally behind the country’s coast guard and armed forces when they are being attacked by Beijing amid increasingly aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea. 

“It would be difficult to be out and out pro-China, especially when it comes to policies that affect our national interest. I will have to qualify [that] you can be pro-Philippines without being anti-China as a general proposition but when conflict arises obviously between China’s interest and ours then clearly, we stand by the national interest,” Pangilinan added. 

Pangilinan, along with Senators Risa Hontiveros and Erwin Tulfo, ML Partylist Representative Leila De Lima, and Akbayan Partylist Representative Chel Diokno, had earlier drawn criticism from the Chinese Embassy for their public statements defending the Philippines’ rights in the West Philippine Sea.

The senator stressed that the adoption of the resolution reflects the Senate’s institutional support for the recent statement issued by the Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which reaffirms the country’s claims in the West Philippine Sea and seeks to protect Filipino fisherfolk and personnel of the Philippine Coast Guard against harassment in the area.