Kalayaan declares Chinese ambassador persona non-grata — 2nd time in 3 yearsMANILA, Philippines — A small Philippine municipality governing a scattering of features in the South China Sea has declared Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata. Kalayaan, the Philippine municipality that claims jurisdiction over nine features in the Spratly Islands, declared the ambassador persona non grata on Tuesday, January 27, over the embassy's public remarks against Filipino officials defending the country's maritime claims. This marks the second time Kalayaan has declared a Chinese ambassador persona non grata. The Chinese embassy has spent the past weeks publicly responding to Philippine officials with statements that reiterate China's nine-dash line claim. The embassy filed diplomatic protests with Malacañang and the Department of Foreign Affairs over Tarriela's sharing of satirical images of Chinese President Xi Jinping.