Palace won't interfere in China banning Kalayaan local execs

The Philippine government will not interfere with China's policies after local officials of the municipality of Kalayaan were declared persona non grata and have been banned from entering China, including Hong Kong and Macau.

''Kung anuman po ang naging desisyon at polisiya ng China ay hindi naman po natin ito saklaw, katulad din po na hindi po nang hindi nila dapat masaklawan kung ano po ang nagiging desisyon ng administrasyon na ito,'' Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Atty. Claire Castro said in a briefing on Wednesday.

(The policy and decision of China is not within our jurisdiction, just like the fact that China also has no jurisdiction over the decisions of this administration.)

This comes after the town declared Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata and banned the diplomat from setting foot in the Kalayaan Islands.

Chinese Embassy in the Philippines spokesperson Ji Lingpeng said that the move was made “based on the principle of reciprocity,” after Jing was declared persona non grata in Kalayaan.

Vice Mayor Maurice Philip Alexis Albayda shrugged off reports of a travel ban, saying he considers it “long overdue” and of little consequence to its local officials.

The reported ban came amid renewed debate in the Senate over the Philippines’ territorial claims in the Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), which is home to a functioning local government and civilian community. —VAL, GMA Integrated News