MANILA — A simmering Senate debate on a resolution condemning statements by the Chinese Embassy escalated into a public clash after Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson Jay Tarriela openly criticized Alan Peter Cayetano, saying the senator’s remarks during plenary deliberations crossed the line from policy disagreement to personal insult.
In a television interview Tuesday, Tarriela said he was taken aback by Cayetano’s statements during the Senate of the Philippines debate, stressing that his actions were guided solely by the defense of national interest.
“I don’t think na meron akong masamang ginawa para sa interest ng bayan para bastusin at babuyin ni Sen. Cayetano ang pagkatao ko,” Tarriela said.
Tarriela revealed that Cayetano had suggested during the plenary discussion that he remove his Coast Guard uniform before engaging in debate.
“Ang sabi niya kasi doon sa plenary debate, hubarin ko daw uniporme ko… Pwede rin naman, hubarin ko uniporme ko, mag-debate kayo, mag-usap kami ng mga bagay pero dapat no holds barred,” he said.
The exchange stemmed from Cayetano’s objections to Tarriela’s use of a caricature of Chinese President Xi Jinping during a lecture, which the senator raised while interpellating on a proposed resolution condemning recent pronouncements by the Chinese Embassy in Manila.
Cayetano argued that the Senate should not appear to endorse what he described as improper conduct by a government official.
“We cannot pass this resolution saying that Commodore Tarriela is correct because he’s wrong. If he simply stated, ‘I love the Philippines, I will fight for our territory, I’ll fight for our sovereign rights, I will do my duty — but sorry, dahil uminit ang ulo ko, nilabas ko ‘to, pero hindi official ‘yan,’ tapos tayo,” Cayetano said.
“The author of this resolution is saying, puwede. Kung ang official ng Presidente ay may certain decorum sa Presidente ng China, puwede ‘yung isang heneral na hindi sumunod. Ang sa kanya, bastusin natin ang Pangulo ng isang bansa,” he added.
Tarriela, however, questioned Cayetano’s position, citing the senator’s previous tenure as Foreign Affairs secretary and asking why similar forceful language had not been directed at China in the past.
“Si Sen. Cayetano, hindi ko ma-get kung anong galit niya doon sa caricature. Pero when was the last time he expressed such passionate statement against the People’s Republic of China? Or even issued condemnation ng office of the Senator Cayetano?” Tarriela asked.
“At the same time when he was the secretary of Foreign Affairs. And he talked about decorum and he talked about not mocking any national leader, what did he say during the time President Duterte, when he mocked President Obama? He said a lot of bad things against the Pope himself. So, hindi ko alam kung anong standard ni Sen. Cayetano with regard to China,” he added.
Tarriela clarified that the caricature was shown in an academic setting and was never intended for an international or official diplomatic audience.
“There are no international audience there and that is something na, ito’y dini-discuss ko lang for academic discussion sa isang university,” he said.
After nearly three hours of debate, the Senate approved an amended resolution urging the Department of Foreign Affairs to pursue diplomatic measures that protect the country’s dignity and ensure that relations with other states adhere to international law.
The resolution also condemned the Chinese Embassy’s recent statements as inconsistent with accepted diplomatic standards./PN
