Senators clash during China resolution debates

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February 4, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — As senators struggled to have a resolution adopted condemning a Chinese diplomat’s criticism of Philippine officials, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta was called out by his colleagues for seemingly lawyering for China – an accusation he vehemently denied.

Sen. Francis Pangilinan, author of the resolution, confronted Marcoleta over the latter’s criticism of Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesman for the West Philippine
Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela’s posting of a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“I’m sorry, but I’m trying to understand the position of the good gentleman in his defense of China and their position,” Pangilinan said.

Marcoleta said he was merely critical of the Philippines’ claim in the South China Sea by asking for a map stating the coordinates of the country’s maritime and sovereign rights.

He denied that he was siding with China when he asked the government to define the limits of the country’s exclusive economic zone.

“I am not defending China. I said, my discussion today is not in defense of any other country. We are defending Philippine interests. The thing is, we need to clear out what we are really defending,” Marcoleta said.

But Pangilinan and Sen. Risa Hontiveros correctly pointed out that the country’s mapping agency, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, has already come up with the map and the coordinates Marcoleta is looking for.

Pangilinan said he was confused about Marcoleta’s position after the latter questioned Tarriela’s caricature of the Chinese president, but called as a “lampoon” the cartoons of FIlipino officials published in Chinese state propaganda.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said the caricature posted by Tarriela is just part of freedom of expression, which China does not have.

The interpellation was suspended yesterday, further delaying a vote on Senate Resolution 256, which condemned the social media bullying tactics of the Chinese embassy in Manila.

Senate Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday called for unity in the upper chamber, as he recalled the Senate’s unanimous adoption in 2023 during the previous Congress of Senate Adopted Resolution 79 which condemned the China Coast Guard and militia vessels’ harassment of Filipinos, particularly fisherfolk.

Sotto had flagged a growing pro-China sentiment in the current Congress, with his Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson saying their actions expose their leanings.

The draft Senate resolution on the Chinese embassy so far has 15 signatures, mostly from the majority and noticeably almost without support from the minority bloc.

Of the nine minority senators, only Jinggoy Estrada signed the draft resolution, while among the majority, only Pia Cayetano did not sign it.

The minority bloc is composed mostly of allies of former president Rodrigo Duterte, who was known for his pivot to China during his administration.

Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, who served as Duterte’s foreign affairs secretary, blocked last week’s adoption of the resolution by calling for a public committee hearing, which was promptly shot down by Sotto and Lacson as unnecessary.

Sen. Imee Marcos of the minority later filed Senate Resolution 267 seeking to counter the first resolution by calling on all government officials to be professional and diplomatic, and to exercise restraint in their criticisms of the embassy, by letting the Department of Foreign Affairs handle diplomatic spats through formal channels. — Michael Punongbayan, Alexis Romero, Delon Porcalla