Philippine Defence Chief Teodoro Rejects Business Groups' Call to Soften Stance on China
Manila — Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. this week rejected appeals from domestic business and other groups for the government to soften its stance towards China, saying such calls for moderation should be directed at China instead and that the Philippines was only standing by the truth and transparency. He made the remarks in a radio interview.
Twenty-two labour, educational, agricultural and business organisations — including the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) and the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FFCCCII) — had issued a joint statement advocating calibrated diplomacy and continuous dialogue, warning that escalating rhetoric could affect bilateral trade, investment and energy cooperation, as well as Filipino workers in mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao.
In the interview, Teodoro questioned the timing and selectivity of the groups' concerns, asking why such statements had not been heard when offshore gaming operations (POGOs) became widespread in the Philippines, when substandard steel was brought into the country, and when scam hubs emerged. If the groups' intention was to stop the Philippines from standing up for itself in the West Philippine Sea, he said, they should say so directly.
He added that economic stability should not override national sovereignty, and urged Philippine industries to treat the current tensions as an opportunity to lessen external reliance: strengthening supply-chain resilience, diversifying supply chains, supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and building real industries rather than merely producing consumer goods.
On November 5, speaking at an event in Oroquieta City, Teodoro went further, saying joint oil and gas exploration with China in the West Philippine Sea would be illegal and unconstitutional under Philippine law, and warning that future generations of Filipinos could lose access to the area's fish, oil and gas resources if the government fails to defend the country's maritime claims. He said the resources the Philippines needs for development can no longer be found on land, and the country needs to turn to the sea.
Source: Department of National Defense of the Philippines
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：菲律宾国防部长 Gilberto Teodoro Jr.（右）与德国国防部长 Boris Pistorius 在马尼拉会面资料照片。照片 CC BY 4.0（McNamara），经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. (right) meeting German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius in Manila, file photo. CC BY 4.0 (McNamara), via Wikimedia Commons.
