Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday accused some politicians of enabling the brazen behavior of Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan against the Philippine government and its officials.
“What is making him bold is there are facilitators for this and there are also supporters who are politicians. We cannot deny that,” Teodoro said in a radio interview.
“Some are giving him the courage. I think that is obvious. That cannot be denied,” Teodoro emphasized, without naming names.
Jing recently said the Philippines is fortunate to have China as a neighbor, noting that China could easily win if it uses force amid the territorial dispute in the West Philippine Sea.
Nevertheless, Jing said China will not resort to force because they stand for peace.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said Jing’s statement sounded “very much to me like a threat and it is not a very diplomatic statement to be made.”
Jing’s statement did not sit well with other Philippine government officials, including Teodoro and some lawmakers who have called for the declaration of Jing as persona non grata.
The Chinese embassy in Manila has continued to attack Philippine government officials who are critical of Jing, the Chinese embassy, and the Chinese government in general.
Teodoro said China’s objective is to cause division and infighting among Filipinos not only on the issue of the West Philippine Sea but also on the political spectrum.
Asked if these erring politicians are involved in the sellout of the country, Teodoro said: “We dont what the gain is. But this will definitely affect or weaken our position against the baseless claims.”
Teodoro said the Philippines will continue to uphold its interest in the West Philippine Sea and resist China’s excesses in the disputed area.
Teodoro opposed suggestions for the Filipino and Chinese governments to refrain from issuing hostile statements to de-escalate tensions.
“If you give them that leeway, they will continue with it. They will perceive it as weakness….We’ve been silent in the past years. What happened?,” Teodoro said.
“Their attempt to conquer got worse. So let’s not make history repeat itself. Let us resist and not entertain what he is saying,” he also added.
Teodoro also lamented China’s interference in the political affairs of the Philippines.
Teodoro noted the Chinese embassy’s remarks that his statements against China were meant to advance his personal political interest.
“They said my motive is personal gain or ambition. That’s already politicking…That’s already political talk. They are interfering with the Philippine political system,” Teodoro said.
On calls by lawmakers to declare Jing as persona non grata, Teodoro said he shares their emotion.
“I share their emotion…The behavior of the Chinese ambassador is not really acceptable,” Teodoro said.
However, Teodoro declined to say if he supports such calls, saying he does not want to preempt the President in his decision.
“As a member of the President’s Cabinet, I can’t publicly express my preferences for the President,” Teodoro said.
“The behavior of the ambassador is not really acceptable,” he also added.