Foreign affairs office confirms release of two Chinese diplomats

Manila: The foreign affairs department has confirmed the release of two Chinese diplomats who were involved in the killing of two other Chinese diplomats and the wounding of a Chinese consul general during a birthday party at a restaurant in central Philippines on October 21.

A senior Philippine official said they will “undergo trial in China” and cases against them were not filed in the Philippines because “they were granted full diplomatic immunity”.

Authorities from Beijing brought Gou Jing, a visa officer at the Chinese Consulate, and her husband, Li Qing Ling, out of Cebu “in a chartered flight”, Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose told Gulf News on Saturday.

“They were brought straight to Xiaman. They did not pass by Ninoy Aquino International Airport (in Metro Manila’s Pasay City),” said Jose, adding that cases of murder and attempted murder were “not filed against the two Chinese nationals because they had full diplomatic immunity”.

The couple underwent investigation and were briefly detained by police in Cebu for the killing of deputy consul general Sun Shan and finance officer Hui Li, and for injuring Chinese Consul General Song Rong Hua, a policeman in Cebu said, adding that during the investigation they and the Chinese Embassy in Manila invoked diplomatic immunity.

The incident occurred after lunch, during Song’s birthday party that was held at Lighthouse, a popular restaurant.

The couple could be sentenced to death if found guilty of murder, in a Chinese court, explained Jose, adding, that Philippines courts, in comparison, would impose a life sentence.

Jose did not give more details such as the date of the departure of Gou and Li, but another police source told Gulf News, “They were flown out of Cebu on Friday since embassies are closed on Saturdays.”

When complaints against their release with full diplomatic immunity mounted mostly from Filipino lawyers who said that consular officials have no complete immunity, the Chinese Embassy confirmed their status as full Chinese Embassy officials.

A .45 calibre pistol was recovered from them, whose serial number was traced to another gun owner based in Metro Manila’s Valenzuela City.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Consul General “survived a neck wound and his office in Cebu will re-open on Monday,” said Jose. It was closed after the shooting incident last Wednesday.