Chinese Embassy lodges diplomatic protest over PCG spokesperson's social media posts

The Chinese Embassy in the Philippines has lodged a diplomatic protest over social media posts by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Jay Tarriela, accusing him of attacking and smearing a Chinese leader.

In a statement, the embassy said Tarriela, whom it described as the PCG spokesperson on the “West Philippine Sea,” recently posted images on social media that it claimed attacked and smeared Chinese leaders.

The embassy said the posts constituted a “serious violation of China’s political dignity” and described them as a “blatant political provocation” that “crossed the red line.”

China said it expressed “strong indignation” and “strongly deplored” the posts, adding that it had lodged “solemn representations” with Malacañang, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Philippine Coast Guard.

On X, Tarriela responded to the statements against him saying, "The Chinese Embassy's statement demanding clarification from the Philippine government on whether my statements represent official policy—and why I have not been "held accountable"—is not only a clear violation of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations but also an attempt to deflect from the core issue: China's repeated aggressive and illegal actions in the West Philippine Sea."

MARITIME ISSUES

The embassy had accused Tarriela of repeatedly hyping maritime issues in recent years, claiming that he had “confounded right and wrong, misrepresented facts, incited confrontation, misled public opinion,” and undermined China’s national interests and dignity. It also stated that his actions had affected mutual trust and cooperation between China and the Philippines, and disrupted diplomatic efforts to improve bilateral relations.

China said it “has been and will continue to take firm countermeasures” in response to what it described as Tarriela’s actions.

The embassy also questioned whether Tarriela’s statements reflect the official position of the Philippine government, asking whether his remarks represent the government’s stance and whether, as a uniformed service member, he should be subject to discipline and ethical standards. It said it hoped the Philippine side would provide clarification and an explanation.

However, Tarriela, on his post on X, said Chinese Embassy's call for the Philippine side to "provide clarification and an explanation" should be redirected, saying that the Philippines and the international community deserve "clear explanations from China regarding the well-documented incidents that we have consistently reported..."

Tarriela listed on X these incidents as the "dangerous maneuvers, intentional ramming, and water cannon attacks by Chinese vessels against PCG and BFAR (Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources) vessels; the illegal blocking and harassment of Filipino fishermen in our own exclusive economic zone; the deployment of hundreds of Chinese maritime militia vessels and the construction of artificial islands in violation of the 2016 Arbitral Award, which definitively invalidated China's expansive claims."

-Paraluman News