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Neil Jayson Servallos - The Philippine Star
February 2, 2026 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Despite opposition from several senators now being tagged as “pro-China,” the Senate will try to adopt today a proposed resolution condemning Chinese embassy officials who criticized Philippine officials for speaking out in defense of national sovereignty and maritime rights.
“We will try to adopt on Monday,” Senate President Vicente Sotto III told The STAR when asked about the status of the measure.
Meanwhile, Deputy Majority Leader JV Ejercito said Filipinos working as paid trolls for the Chinese government could be committing treason – a capital offense during times of war.
The draft resolution expresses the Senate’s dismay over the Chinese embassy’s remarks against Philippine officials, including Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela, as well as senators who have spoken out on the South China Sea issue, including Sen. Risa Hontiveros.
The measure was earlier expected to be approved, but was not taken up after Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano sought time to study it further, even proposing to have the resolution be tackled in the committee level through hearings.
The measure comes amid heightened tensions following repeated confrontations between Chinese vessels and Filipino fishermen, as well as PCG and Navy personnel in the West Philippine Sea.
Speculation has swirled online that some senators were hesitant to support the resolution due to concerns about worsening diplomatic ties with Beijing.
Earlier, Sotto said he found it “deplorable and lamentable” if any senator appeared to favor China in their statements, though he acknowledged that some colleagues might have their own reasons.
Speaking to radio dzBB yesterday, Ejercito said debates or discussions on the floor may resume before the resolution is put to a vote.
Ejercito clarified that the resolution does not include a provision declaring the Chinese ambassador or deputy spokesperson persona non grata.
Addressing the failure of the Senate to secure a unanimous vote – with only 15 out of 24 senators signing the resolution – Ejercito declined to comment on the motivations of his colleagues who did not sign.
“I don’t want to speak for them. They each have their reasons so I don’t want to comment on that,” he said.
However, he did not mince words on alleged Filipino trolls working for Beijing.
He suggested that accepting payment from a foreign government to malign the Philippines could be viewed as treasonous given the national security implications of the West Philippine Sea dispute.
“It’s our national interest. It is already a national security issue because it deals with the dispute between the Philippines and China. If it were other matters, maybe we can let it pass, but for me, maybe we could examine if this is already a national security issue because the issue of the West Philippine Sea is sensitive,” he argued.
He dismissed the online attacks as the work of a small, funded minority, citing surveys showing that 80 to 90 percent of Filipinos distrust China and view it as the country’s biggest threat.
Meanwhile, of the nine-member minority bloc, only Sen. Jinggoy Estrada signed the draft resolution.
The other minority senators who did not sign were Cayetano, Imee Marcos, Rodante Marcoleta, Bong Go, Ronald dela Rosa, Francis Escudero, Robinhood Padilla and Joel Villanueva.
Sen. Pia Cayetano, the sister of the minority leader, was the lone majority member who did not sign the resolution.
A separate measure, Senate Resolution 267 filed by Marcos, urges government officials to exercise restraint in their criticism of China and to allow the Department of Foreign Affairs to handle diplomatic disputes through formal channels.
