Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon has urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to consider expelling lower-ranking Chinese diplomats whom he says operate the Chinese Embassy Manila’s social media accounts.
Ridon’s call follows continued posts from the embassy’s Facebook page criticizing Philippine government officials, including senators and members of Congress. The Department of Foreign Affairs has summoned Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan.
Ridon clarified that he was not calling for Jing’s expulsion. Instead, he wants the government to consider expelling the lower-ranking diplomats who operate the embassy’s Facebook accounts.
The lawmaker rejected the embassy’s explanation that it had misunderstood Jing’s remarks, saying the explanation was unacceptable.
Ridon compared the issue to the grave threats case involving Vice President Sara Duterte, arguing that a threat remains a threat regardless of the circumstances.
He described Chinese diplomats as “trigger-happy” in their use of Facebook in the Philippines. Ridon pointed out that Facebook is banned in China, while the embassy’s Manila page continues to publish criticism of Philippine officials.
Despite the DFA’s move to summon Jing, Ridon said the government should consider action against the diplomats managing the accounts rather than the ambassador.
Ridon’s proposal targets diplomats managing the embassy’s social media accounts directly.
