The Philippines’ defence chief on Friday vowed to continue carrying out his responsibilities despite being sanctioned by China, saying he would not be deterred by what he described as acts of “wickedness” by Beijing. The remarks came a day after China imposed sanctions on the official, accusing him of repeatedly making “erroneous remarks.”
Relations between China and the Philippines, a key U.S. ally, have deteriorated in recent years amid recurring confrontations in the disputed South China Sea.
Under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Manila has taken a firmer stance against what it considers increasingly assertive Chinese actions, while Beijing maintains that the Philippines has repeatedly intruded into waters claimed by China.
Diplomatic Rift Deepens
“That is truly what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception,” Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said in a statement on Friday.
“I will just keep doing my duty and uphold our nation in the face of the wickedness they are committing here and even in our seas,” Teodoro added.
China’s foreign ministry announced sanctions on Thursday against Teodoro and his close relatives, saying he had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks concerning China” which had undermined China’s legitimate interests and bilateral ties.
Manila’s foreign ministry said it viewed the sanctions as an “unfriendly act that further complicates bilateral relations.”
“Such measures do not contribute to building mutual trust, managing differences responsibly, or creating the conditions necessary for constructive engagement between our two countries,” it said in a statement late on Thursday.
Beijing and Manila Trade Accusations
The sanctions put Teodoro among other foreign officials who have faced similar actions by Beijing in recent years.
China sanctioned U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio for his criticism of the Chinese government and human rights accusations when he was still a senator in 2020. Beijing has since found a diplomatic workaround in the Chinese translation of Rubio’s name that allowed him to join U.S. President Donald Trump last month for a summit that sought to stabilise ties.
In 2021, Beijing also imposed such sanctions on five European Union lawmakers over their allegation of Chinese persecution of Muslims in the northwestern Xinjiang region. These sanctions were lifted last year as China pursued closer relations with EU to limit damage from Trump’s tariffs war.
Beijing accused the Philippine defence chief last week of having no gratitude for China’s supply of important commodities and of using issues about people’s wellbeing for political showmanship, after Teodoro’s remarks about China being a threat.
“For countries like the Philippines … which is under severe threat territory-wise and politically too by China, we have no choice but really to be resilient and to stand up against Chinese aggression,” he had told Reuters on the sidelines of Singapore’s Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia’s premier defence forum.
Earlier this week, Manila took diplomatic action against Beijing for what it called the “illegal presence” of a floating structure in a disputed atoll.
(With inputs from Reuters)
