Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. dismissed questions from Chinese military officials about the West Philippine Sea, calling them “propaganda” during a recent defense forum in Singapore.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Teodoro was asked leading questions by two Chinese military officers, who wanted the Philippines to adopt the foreign policies of Malaysia and Vietnam with respect to ongoing disputes in the South China Sea.
Senior Colonel Qi Dapeng, a professor at China’s National Security College and National Defense University, asked whether the Philippines would consider following Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s advice to engage in dialogue.
Senior Colonel Zhang Chi, an associate professor at the same school, raised concerns about the growing U.S. military presence in the Philippines, questioning if this could lead to a potential proxy war in Asia.
In response, Teodoro said: “Thank you for the propaganda spiels disguised as questions. Let us not forget that while we are members of (the Association of Southeast Asian Nations), we are sovereign countries, each with its own territorial integrity and sovereignty. And I’m sure that if what China is doing to the Philippines is done to Malaysia or to any ASEAN country, you would see a different reaction.”
Members of the audience applauded the defense secretary.
“I would like to reiterate that the Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea is not a function of Sino-American strategic rivalry. Instead, it is caused, no doubt, by the overreach of the Chinese Communist Party of which the most glaring evidence is the nine, 10 or 11-dash-line that has absolutely no basis in international law,” Teodoro maintained, rebutting the Chinese narrative that the Philippines is the United States’ proxy and lackey.
The Filipino official emphasized the importance of trust in fostering meaningful dialogue with China regarding the issues in the West Philippine Sea.
No high-ranking officials from Beijing participated in the defense forum. Instead, Teodoro alleged that China dispatched intelligence agents disguised as journalists.
Earlier, Teodoro and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff, General Romeo Brawner Jr., criticized a Chinese media report claiming the military official had avoided their questions, dismissing it as propaganda.
In a video shared by the AFP on social media, Teodoro said those people claiming to be “journalists” asked him if the Philippines is a proxy of the United States during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“When I was asked if the Philippines is a proxy of the US, I answered ‘No’ because we are Filipinos. I had an argument with them. They’re the ones stealing our territory. They have yet to release a story about it and they will again twist the narrative,” Teodoro said.
