Noy expects China to reciprocate Philippines’ treatment of consular officers

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino expects China to reciprocate the Philippine government’s swift deportation of a Chinese couple accused of killing two Chinese consular officers should a similar incident involving Filipinos happen in China.

“If the same situation happen to our diplomats anywhere else, we would want to have the same treatment done to our diplomats,”Aquino told the annual presidential forum of the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines held yesterday at the Solaire Hotel in Parañaque.

“Any limitations to their activities remove their ability to perform their functions. Like with anything made by man it is not perfect,” the President said, referring to the evolution of diplomatic immunity accorded to ambassadors and consular officers.

“We trust that justice will be served under their own system of laws and judicial processes,” he added.

Suspects Li Quing Liang and his wife Guo Jing were immediately deported to China where they will be prosecuted for the murder of Deputy Consul General Sun Shan and finance officer Hui Li last week in the Lighthouse restaurant in Cebu City. Consul General Song Rong Hua was also shot but survived.

Li allegedly started shooting while having a heated argument with the consul general and his staff in a private function room of the restaurant.

A team from China’s Ministry of Public Safety is in Cebu to observe the ongoing investigation into the shooting incident. The Chinese officials are composed of at least 10 investigators and forensics experts.

The group is here in the country as part of a consular agreement between China and the Philippines, which provides that crimes involving Chinese diplomats will be prosecuted in China.

Aquino said the Philippine National Police (PNP) is also trying to find out who owns the firearm.

PNP Regional Office 7 Director Prudencio Tom Bañas said the Chinese government has requested assistance from the PNP in the investigation of the murder. The Chinese ambassador has expressed gratitude to the Philippine government for its quick response.

Meanwhile, Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said he would suggest to Mayor Mike Rama that the city government “protest” the “voluntary deportation” of the Chinese suspects.

 He said the couple should not have been allowed to leave the city because the crime was committed in the Philippines.

“We have to make known our protestation, our objection on the summary of the deportation. It’s not deportation because it was voluntarily on their part. Not that the state authorities deported them, but it was summary in the sense that there should have been an investigation conducted first because they are covered under our criminal justice system,” Labella explained.