MANILA, Philippines — What a difference four days make.
Senator JV Ejercito, who boldly told China’s ambassador to the Philippines to “Go home!” on October 17, appeared to strike a more cautious tone just four days later, acknowledging that the Philippines cannot match China’s power and must handle the dispute intelligently.
The shift in rhetoric raises questions about how far the senator is prepared to go in standing up to Beijing after issuing one of his strongest public statements against China.
“Ambassador Jing Quan, West Philippine Sea is ours! Go home!” Ejercito declared in an October 17 statement, directly challenging the Chinese envoy.
But by October 21, his message had noticeably softened.
“We have to play it intelligently and we have to proceed with caution,” Ejercito said in remarks carried by ANC.
“Of course, definitely we cannot match China. They are a superpower. We are not. But in our own little way, we just have to stand up.”
The senator also appeared eager to distance his position from any suggestion of military confrontation or alignment with Washington.
“No, we are not pro-war. We are not pro-U.S. We are just pro-Filipino and we just want to stand by our sovereignty and our rights,” he said.
The contrast is difficult to miss.
On October 17, Ejercito was telling China’s ambassador to leave. Four days later, he was emphasizing the country’s military limitations, the need for caution, and the importance of avoiding war.
To be clear, Ejercito did not abandon the Philippine claim over the West Philippine Sea. His October 21 remarks continued to affirm the country’s sovereignty and rights.
But the change in emphasis was unmistakable: from a confrontational public challenge to a more measured acknowledgment of the realities of dealing with a superpower.
The episode highlights a familiar dilemma in Philippine foreign policy. Taking a tough public stand against China may be politically popular, but translating that rhetoric into a sustainable diplomatic position requires considerably more restraint.
For Ejercito, the question is whether his latest remarks represent a more carefully considered foreign policy position or simply a retreat from the confrontational language he used days earlier.
Either way, the senator who told China’s ambassador to “Go home!” was now telling Filipinos that confronting China requires caution.
The defiance remains. The tough talk, however, has been noticeably toned down.