Carpio deems calls to expel China’s envoy over WPS bullying ‘extreme’

FILE PHOTO: Former Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio. INQUIRER/EDWIN BACASMAS

MANILA, Philippines — To expel China’s ambassador Huang Xilian amid escalating Beijing intimidations in the West Philippine Sea would be an “extreme measure,” former Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio Carpio said Tuesday.

He also said that to order the Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines to pack up and return to his country is a “very serious” action that could only be warranted if China’s bullying within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) escalates further.

“Huwag muna, that’s very serious already. Kapag nag-escalate na. Normally, before you expel the ambassador, i-expel mo muna ‘yung lower officials, hindi yung ambassador. Mabigat ‘yun,” Carpio said in an interview over at Radyo 630.

(Not yet, that’s very serious already. Normally, before you expel the ambassador, you first expel the lower officials, not the ambassador. That’s heavy.)

READ: China envoy summoned over ‘aggression’ in West Philippine Sea

The former magistrate was reacting to Senate President Juan Miguel Zubiri’s proposal for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to send the Chinese envoy home for allegedly not addressing the aggressive actions of China against Filipino vessels in the West Philippine Sea.

“We can go to that if the situation escalates. We have to calibrate it. Mag-umpisa muna tayo diyan sa recall muna. Iyong extreme measure, tsaka na iyon,” he added.

(We can go to that if the situation escalates. We have to calibrate it. Let’s start with the recall first. That extreme measure may come later.)

Carpio explained that the Philippine government could instead recall the Philippine Ambassador to China to express the country’s disapproval of Beijing’s aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.

“What we’ll do, normally in such cases, we can recall our ambassador to show our displeasure. Recall our ambassador in Beijing,” he said in a mix of Filipino and English.

On Monday, Senator Francis Tolentino sought to recall Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz following Beijing’s latest intimidations in the West Philippine Sea.

Tolentino said such a move would be a step up amid China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

Over the weekend, the Chinese Coast Guard and maritime militia rammed and fired water cannons at Filipino vessels during two separate humanitarian and support missions within the Philippines’ EEZ, prompting a reaction from government officials and diplomats.

READ: West PH Sea supply missions fruitful amid China’s bullying – official