Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. lashed out at the Chinese Embassy in Manila after it issued a statement responding to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), saying Beijing’s remarks exposed its real intentions toward the Philippines.
Teodoro said the embassy’s response reflected what he described as the “insincerity and duplicity” of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with the country.
“The Chinese Embassy statement replying to our Department of Foreign Affairs is a window into the true intentions of the Chinese Communist Party in dealing with our country,” Teodoro said.
“It clearly shows their insincerity and duplicity, which are amply personified by their embassy officials. We condemn the arrogant display of deceitful indignation by them,” he added.
The defense chief made the statement amid renewed exchanges between Manila and Beijing over the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, which the Philippines has repeatedly maintained as final and binding under international law.
Teodoro also dismissed the Chinese Embassy’s remarks as lacking credibility.
“Hindi kapanipaniwala ang mga sinasabi kaya idinadaan sa alboroto,” he said.
He ended his statement with a defiant message against pressure from Beijing: “Hindi tayo pasisiil.”