PRESIDENT Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has rejected a call to declare Chinese embassy officials “persona non grata,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said Friday, January 30, 2026.
“No. No ang sagot ng Pangulo. Basta ang sagot ng Pangulo tungkol sa panawagan na ideklarang persona non grata ang isang ambassador ay ‘no,’” Castro said in an interview with reporters.
(No. The President’s answer is no. The President’s response to the call to declare an ambassador persona non grata is ‘no.’)
Senator Erwin Tulfo earlier said several senators are considering filing a resolution recommending that the President declare officials of the Chinese Embassy in Manila persona non grata amid rising tensions between the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and representatives of the Chinese Embassy, rooted in China’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The latest tensions escalated after statements by PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela criticizing China’s maritime activities in disputed waters drew sharp public rebukes from the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
The embassy accused the PCG official of making remarks it deemed inappropriate and politically provocative, particularly on social media.
The Department of Foreign Affairs urged both sides to handle disputes more soberly and through diplomatic channels instead of public confrontations. (TPM/SunStar Philippines)