Ex-Laguna mayor arrested over attempt to burn Chinese flag

A Filipino protester   burns a Chinese flag outside the Chinese consulate in Makati during a rally on May 8. AP 

MANILA, Philippines—Police arrested a former Laguna mayor who tried to burn a Chinese flag outside China’s consulate in Makati City Friday amid the two countries’ monthlong standoff in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Ben Afuang, a newsman who served as mayor of Pagsanjan, Laguna, was stopped by police from burning the flag as protesters denounced Beijing’s “bullying” of the Philippines over the territorial dispute.

Last month, Afuang also burned a Chinese flag as he insisted that the Scarborough shoal belongs to the Philippines.

Afuang was also involved in a flag-burning incident during the 1990s when he burned a Singaporean flag in protest of the execution of Filipino worker Flor Contemplacion.

In a phone interview, Carlo Vargas, an Akbayan member, said that while the group is against China’s “bullying”, it does not approve of Afuang’s attempt to burn the Chinese flag.

“Hindi naman kasi iyan ang tamang paraan. At ayaw din naman nating sunugin ng iba ang flag natin (That is not the right approach. And also, we would not like other people to burn our flag),” he said.

Vargas said that Afuang is not a member of Akbayan.

The Philippine government distanced itself from Friday’s protest, but spokeswoman Abigail Valte said freedom of expression is guaranteed. Tensions have risen since both countries deployed vessels to claim sovereignty over a tiny uninhabited shoal.

The Chinese Embassy warned its citizens in the Philippines ahead of the protest.

Organizers say they will also rally outside Chinese missions in New York, Singapore and Rome.

In Beijing, several protesters in groups of two and three demonstrated outside the Philippine Embassy, but they were greatly outnumbered by uniformed and plainclothes Chinese police. With a report from Associated Press