Tolentino wants Mandarin-speaking military general to ‘bridge miscommunications’ between PH, China

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Francis Tolentino on Monday suggested that a Mandarin-speaking military general from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) be given a position where he can use his knowledge of the said language to “bridge” the “miscommunications” between the Philippines and China.

In a confirmation hearing of a panel of the Commission on Appointments (CA), Tolentino engaged Maj. Gen. Edgardo de Leon in a “light banter” about his heritage and military background.

“Alam ko pong ‘di na po dapat makuwestyon ang inyong katapatan, loyalty at pagmamahal sa bayan,” Tolentino told De Leon.

“‘Di kita tatanungin sa West Philippine Sea, pero nakita ko sa background mo,” he added.

Tolentino noted that De Leon previously served as a military attaché in Myanmar.

The senator also said that the military officer is fluent in Mandarin.

In response, De Leon said he only has conversational Mandarin speaking skills because his mother is pure Chinese. His father, he said, is pure Filipino.

“You can understand, speak Chinese. So, sa nakikita ko sa takbo ng karera mo sa Army, sa isang position na babagay, angkop sa iyong background lalo na sa pagiging well-versed mo sa Chinese language,” Tolentino noted.

The senator also said he visited De Leon’s Facebook page.

“Ang nakalagay—I heard that you mentioned your heritage halos lahat naman ng Pilipino may Chinese blood—nakita ko social media page mo: Gen. Yao Sheng Li,” Tolentino said, adding that he will not question De Leon’s choice to include his Chinese name in his social media page.

“You’re proud of your heritage, your lineage,” he noted.

Responding to this, De Leon said it was his maternal grandfather who gave him his Chinese name.

De Leon said he grew up in the Filipino-Chinese community and studied in a Filipino-Chinese school in Caloocan from elementary to high school.

“I’m a member of the alumni association of the school and in that school, I have my Filipino name and Chinese name,” he added.

Tolentino then went on to commend De Leon for his good performance in the military.

“I hope [AFP chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay] is listening that probably in the days ahead, you (De Leon) will be given a position very appropriate to your background,” the senator said.

“You will be able to utilize your background, fluency in the Chinese language, Mandarin as a bridge, perhaps sort some miscommunications or perhaps be a tool for diplomatic advancement as we go along in this maze of the diplomatic conundrum we are in right now,” he added.

Manila and Beijing have long been locked in a maritime dispute. In 2013, the Philippines filed a case with the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) at The Hague in The Netherlands challenging China’s sweeping claim of nearly the entire South China Sea, including parts of the West Philippine Sea.

The Hague-based court then ruled in favor of the Philippines in July 2016 invalidating China’s nine-dash line claim.

President Rodrigo Duterte has been criticized for setting aside the landmark 2016 arbitral ruling against Beijing’s mythical nine-dash line claim in the South China Sea.

China refused to recognize the ruling, continuing its aggression in the disputed waters and building artificial islands to house military facilities.

The ad interim appointments and nomination of De Leon and 14 other senior AFP officers were confirmed by the CA in its plenary session after the panel hearing. [ac]