China can't silence pro-PH voices, Palace says after Tolentino ban
Philippine News Agency
By Darryl John Esguerra
July 2, 2025, 1:37 pm Updated on July 2, 2025, 1:40 pm
MANILA -- Filipinos will not be intimidated from speaking out in defense of the country's sovereign rights, Malacañang said Wednesday, following reports that China has imposed sanctions on former senator Francis Tolentino over his remarks on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
"Ang bawat Pilipino na pro-Philippines, hindi nila ito mapapatahimik at hindi nila ito mababawalan na ipagtanggol kung ano ang karapatan natin sa ating bansa at sa ating maritime rights (Every Filipino who is pro-Philippines cannot be silenced or stopped from defending our national and maritime rights)," Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.
Castro underscored President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s firm position on the country's territorial integrity.
"Ang sabi nga ng Pangulo, (As the President said): 'We will not yield even an inch of our territory to any foreign power'," she added.
China's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday announced sanctions against Tolentino, whose six-year term as a senator officially ended Monday, for his "egregious conduct" on matters such as the disputed WPS.
The sanctions prohibit Tolentino from entering the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, and Macau.
"No foreign power can silence me or weaken my resolve to uphold our sovereignty," Tolentino said in a statement, calling the sanctions a "badge of honor".
China is asserting its sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, a vast and resource-rich body of water that overlaps with the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines and other Southeast Asian countries.
A 2016 ruling of an international arbitral tribunal voided Beijing's sweeping claims as having no basis in international law, a decision China vehemently rejects as it continues its illegal operations in the disputed areas. (PNA)
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