The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) on Wednesday expressed respect for the statements and actuations of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr., who recently called out China for its alleged “disrespect,” “bullying” and “aggression” during an international forum in South Korea.
Speaking during a press briefing in Malacañang, DFA Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Analyn Ratonel addressed the incident, affirming the department’s position regarding the Defense chief’s remarks.
“We respect the statement and views of Secretary Teodoro. Other than that, I do not wish to further comment,” Ratonel said.
The DFA’s statement comes in the wake of a high-profile exchange at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, where Secretary Teodoro publicly criticized Chinese representatives over what he described as a breach of basic protocol and decency.
While addressing the security conference, Teodoro was handed a note onstage, reportedly originating from a Chinese official, outlining Beijing’s standing opposition to the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling.
The handed note reiterated China’s claim that its position on the arbitration remained “clear, consistent and firm,” asserting that the 2016 Arbitral Award was “illegal, null and void,” and stood in violation of fundamental principles of international law.
Reading the note aloud to the audience, Teodoro promptly rebutted its contents point-by-point. He emphasized that the arbitration was conducted strictly under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), an international framework to which China is a signatory state.
Teodoro denounced the delivery of the note during the panel as an act of disrespect not only to international legal standards but also to South Korea as the host nation and to all participating delegates.
The Defense Secretary was in South Korea to participate in the Seoul Defense Dialogue, where he advocated for a rules-based collaborative security architecture centered on human security and mutual respect among nations.
The incident highlights ongoing friction between Manila and Beijing regarding overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague issued a landmark ruling invalidating Beijing’s expansive historic claims across the sea. While the Philippines continues to uphold the ruling as legally binding, China has consistently refused to recognize the tribunal’s jurisdiction or decision.