Historian: Philippines flag display broke protocol during Xi Jinping visit

MANILA, Philippines — The protocol on the display of the Philippine flag was breached during the two-day state visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping, a historian said on Tuesday.

On Twitter, historian Eufemio Agbayani III said Malacañang violated a provision in the implementing rules and regulations of Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines, which states that the Philippine flag shall be on the left of the observer’s point of view if displayed in a row or parade of flags of other countries.

Agbayani posted images of various events during Xi’s state visit showing the Chinese flag on the left.

“Our government seems too concerned with pleasing the Chinese guests that they’d rather follow Chinese protocol over Philippine protocol which we have followed ever since our independence was recognized in 1946, and perhaps even earlier,” he said.

Agbayani shared a photo of the state visit of Duterte to China, where the Philippine flag was placed on the left of the Chinese flag.

“When we give Chinese flag, or any other flag, precedence over the Philippine flag in our country, it could mean something. Think about it,” he added.

Agbayani said the breach of protocol appeared to have also happened during the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

He also cited the mistake of the House of Representatives when it flew the Chinese flags on the left when a ranking Chinese official visited last month.

“It’s not like we can’t correct it. On this very same day, the Rizal Park management fixed the flag arrangement so that the Philippine flag is on the left and the Chinese flag on the right,” he noted.

Agbayani also questioned why the honor guard carried the Chinese flag during the inspection of troops in Malacañang instead of the presidential standard as protocol dictates.

On the use of the Chinese flag during the inspection, historian and former communications undersecretary Manolo Quezon said presidents can break tradition to send a statement.

“Presidents, of course, while expected to maintain tradition, can always break with tradition. It can be a dramatic statement with deep meaning, without having to say anything,” Quezon said on Twitter.

“In that sense 2018 is a year that marks discarding a tradition dating back to 1935,” Quezon added.