Manila

The Philippines’ national security adviser on Friday called for the expulsion of Chinese diplomats over an alleged leaked telephonic conversation with a Filipino military official as territorial tensions continue to increase, source reported.

This comes a week after China harassed and shot water cannons at a Filipino humanitarian mission headed to Scarborough Shoal, a flashpoint in the region.

Eduardo Ano, Philippines national security adviser, said that the Chinese Embassy’s repeated acts of engaging in and dissemination of disinformation, misinformation, and malinformation, now releasing spurious transcripts or recordings of purported conversations between officials of the host country should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned or without serious penalty.

The leaked phone conversation surfaced earlier this week, purporting to show a Chinese diplomat and a Filipino admiral discussing a dispute over the South China Sea that saw the Filipino official agreeing to concessions with China, source reported.

China’s foreign ministry immediately responded to Ano’s statements, saying, they solemnly demand that the Philippines ensure Chinese diplomats perform their duties normally.

Earlier this week, Philippine Defense Minister Gilbert Teodoro said that if the Chinese Embassy kept a recording of someone in the country, they are admitting to have violated Philippine law and the actions of the Chinese embassy violate international relations and the law.