Senator Erwin Tulfo will meet with Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan on Monday to discuss matters related to the West Philippine Sea following a series of heated public exchanges between Manila and Beijing officials.
Tulfo, who serves as the chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated that the Department of Foreign Affairs facilitated the meeting.
The senator previously voiced his support for diplomatic de-escalation given the rising tensions over the WPS issue.
Tulfo highlighted the urgent need to ensure the safety of Filipino personnel and fishermen operating in the West Philippine Sea.
“What is important is that none of our personnel and fishermen are harmed,” he said.
DFA maritime affairs spokesperson Rogelio Villanueva described the planned dialogue as “an opportunity for frank, cordial, and professional discussion — one that can candidly address divergent positions while also identifying areas of common understanding.”
Senate President Pro Tempore Panfilo Lacson is also amenable to fostering a dialogue between the Upper Chamber and the Chinese Embassy.
“We may have our disagreements regarding territory, but we can at least agree on how to handle the situation through discourse,” Lacson said.
As this developed, Senator Risa Hontiveros on Saturday visited Pag-asa Island, part of the Kalayaan Island Group in the West Philippine Sea, to deliver essential goods and medical services to Filipino civilians and frontliners stationed in the area.
Coordinated with the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea — including the National Security Council, the Armed Forces of the Philippines Western Command, and the Philippine Coast Guard — the visit formed part of Hontiveros pre-60th birthday celebration.
“The people of Kalayaan and their municipality are part of the Philippines, and they will never be forsaken or left behind,” she said.
Hontiveros was joined by officials of the municipality of Kalayaan, led by Mayor Beltzasar Alindogan and Vice Mayor Maurice Albayda – two of 16 local executives who were earlier declared persona non grata by the Chinese embassy.
Meanwhile, the next round of negotiations on a binding South China Sea code of conduct (COC) will be held in the last week of February, the DFA said.
Villanueva said senior officials from China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will meet in Singapore.
The increased frequency of talks aligns with the Philippines’ push, as this year’s ASEAN chair, to hasten negotiations and finalize a COC by the end of 2026.
“As chair of the ASEAN, the Philippines has committed to pursue the momentum in the negotiations for the substantive and effective Code of Conduct,” Villanueva said.
“We are prepared to facilitate more meetings. Actually, we are holding, in coordination with the other ASEAN member states and China, monthly face-to-face meetings to increase the opportunity to sit down and negotiate,” he added.
