Senator Risa Hontiveros of the Philippines has called on Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian, as well as his country’s ships and artificial islands in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), to leave the Philippines. This comes after Huang advised the Philippine government to ‘’unequivocally oppose Taiwan’s independence”. Hontiveros responded by saying that the Philippines’ destiny is not in China’s hands, and that Filipinos will continue to work where they work. She stressed that the Philippine government respects the right of the Taiwanese people to self-determination, and that China has been stoking tensions in the region by claiming territories that aren’t hers and bullying, harassing, and intimidating other smaller nations. Meanwhile, Senator Christopher ‘’Bong’’ Go has urged the government to prioritize the welfare of over 150,000 Filipinos in Taiwan whose livelihoods might be at risk due to China’s military exercises near Taiwan territory.
