The Armed Forces on Tuesday scored at the Chinese Embassy in Manila for questioning the decision of Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to sever military-to-military communication with China.
Rear Admiral (res.) Roy Vincent Trinidad made the statement a day after the embassy said that Teodoro’s decision pushed frontline personnel “closer to confrontation” in the West Philippine Sea.
“Everyone knows that no matter how difficult bilateral relations become, communication channels should remain open to avoid miscalculation and prevent tensions from escalating,” the embassy said.
The embassy claimed Teodoro’s decision was for “political self interest”, adding the defense chief’s move also fuels mistrust and narrows space for crisis management.
The DND clarified that the communications between the two sides were discontinued following Teodoro’s assumption as defense secretary in July 2023.
Trinidad said the military stands solidly behind the decision of Teodoro to suspend communication channels with China.
“For communication mechanisms to work, they have to be anchored on mutual trust, sincerity and support for international law,” Trinidad said.
“Bilateral dialogue will be effective if the messages matched the actions on sea, air and ground. Unfortunately, this has not been the case,” Trinidad also said.
Trinidad said the communication channels have been used by China as a “smokescreen” to perpetuate “illegal presence, coercive and aggressive actions, and deceptive messaging not only in our maritime domain but even on land.”
Trinidad noted that the military will continue performing its mandate of protecting Philippine interests in the West Philippine Sea.
“The Filipino people could be assured that the AFP will ensure that our flag remains flying high and proud over our maritime domain,” Trinidad said.
Trinidad said the military expects China to continue its illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities until the 2028 elections.
“We have to expect not only this action on the maritime domain, but even foreign and domestic malign activities on land will escalate until 2028,” Trinidad also said.
Trinidad said the rulebook of the Chinese Communist Party includes the cooptation of the economic elite and political elite.
“If they could co-opt political leader have him elected by building him up politically through foreign malign influence, they would have achieved their objective without firing a single shot,” Trinidad added.
Trinidad pointed to the election of Alice Guo as mayor of Bamban, Tarlac in the 2022 elections, noting that as a Chinese national, Guo was arrested and later convicted of human trafficking in relation to operations of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations.
“That’s only the tip of the iceberg and this could be replicated at the national level. So we have to be very careful,” Trinidad stressed.
Trinidad also dismissed renewed allegations that the military is the source of trouble in the West Philippine Sea.
“When you stand up for your maritime rights that are legally and rightfully yours, you are not a troublemaker,” Trinidad said.
“When another country would like to occupy your territory, would like to sow false narratives to advance their interests, they are creating trouble, not only domestically, but in the region,” Trinidad also said, referring to China.