Screen grabbed from RTVM/ January 16, 2027.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has turned down proposals to declare Chinese Ambassador to Manila Jing Quan persona non grata, Palace officials said Friday.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said she raised the matter with Marcos following suggestions from some lawmakers after tensions between the Chinese embassy and Philippine officials.
“The President said no,” Castro told reporters, noting that Marcos gave a firm response before she could finish her question.
Asked whether the President strongly opposed the move, she reiterated, “As for the President’s answer regarding the call to declare an ambassador persona non grata, `no.’”
Despite Marcos’ position, Kalayaan Vice Mayor Maurice Philip Alexis Albayda said the envoy has been declared persona non grata in Palawan’s Kalayaan town and that a copy of the document would be forwarded to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
The Chinese embassy has criticized Philippine officials, including Coast Guard personnel and lawmakers, over remarks concerning Chinese harassment of Philippine vessels, though Jing himself has not made personal attacks.
The DFA on Thursday cautioned that declaring a foreign diplomat persona non grata is a serious diplomatic action, to be used only as a last resort due to potential repercussions on bilateral relations and strategic interests.
