By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Exasperated by the latest antic of China, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. on Sunday (05 May 2024) called the alleged “new model” a “devious machination of China.”

Teodoro bluntly told Beijing: “This charade must stop.”

This developed as the Department of National Defense (DND) denied an alleged “new model” that China claims it reached with the Philippines to ease tensions in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.

“I reiterate that I have disallowed any contact between the DND and the Chinese Embassy since the courtesy call of Ambassador Huang Xilian, a few days after I assumed office in July of last year,” Teodoro said in a statement.

On Saturday (4 May 2024), an unnamed spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Manila claimed in a statement that Beijing and Manila, through the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Western Command, allegedly agreed on the new model “early this year” supposedly to diffuse tensions in Ayungin Shoal.

The statement further claimed that the “new model” was “approved by all key officials in the Philippine chain of command, including the Secretary of National Defense and the National Security Adviser.

But Teodoro strongly denied the Chinese Embassy’s claims.

“I am issuing this statement to generate awareness on this clear attempt by China to advance another falsehood to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions in our EEZ (exclusive economic zone),” Teodoro said.

“We advise our citizens, the media, and the international community to beware of China’s methods of manipulation, interference, and malign influence in furthering its interests,” he added.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — As President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has declared that the Philippines would only invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty with the United States in the event a Filipino soldier died in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has pronounced that the MDT should not be regarded as a tool to incite fear among countries.

The country’s defense chief issued the remarks on Friday (3 May 2024) in a press conference he attended in Hawaii alongside fellow Defense chiefs Lloyd Austin of the United States, Minoru Kihara of Japan, and Richard Marles of Australia.

Teodoro said he would not speculate on the conditions when the MDT might be invoked, pointing out that it would be a “political decision …principally by the Philippine government.”

“It would be counterproductive to delve into hypotheticals. As Defense Secretary, I would like to steer away from the discussion on [which] occasions that the MDT may be invoked when our jobs… is to make sure that through capability building, deterrence,  there are no situations when MDT could arise,” he quipped.

Meanwhile, Austin said the MDT is not subject to hypothetical scenarios. 

However, the US defense chief commented that the damage to Philippine vessels and injuries to Filipino crew members is “irresponsible behavior.”

“Filipino crew members are put in danger, sailors have been injured…and property damage. That is irresponsible behavior, he noted.

“It disregards international law. I would not get into any hypotheticals on what could happen and how it could happen. What I could say is that you heard me say, you heard what the President [Joe Biden] said a number of times: that our commitment to the treaty (MDT) is ironclad and we stand with the Philippines,” Austin assured.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Taking note of the so-called “gentleman’s agreement” between former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and China, Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday (2 April 2024) urged Filipinos to “not lose sight” of China’s illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea.

This developed as National Security Adviser (NSA) Eduardo Año and his US counterpart Jake Sullivan reaffirmed the alliance between the two countries following the recent incidents of harassment by China’s forces within the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.

“Let us not fall into the trap set by Chinese propaganda of refocusing the debate on a so-called promise while deflecting attention away from China’s government, thereby freeing and allowing them to continue with their illegal activities in our EEZ,” Teodoro stressed.

To recall, former Palace spokesman Harry Roque earlier claimed that then-President Duterte and Chinese President Xi Jinping struck what he called a “gentleman’s agreement” to maintain the status quo in Ayungin Shoal where the BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting World War Two ship, is grounded and has become a symbol of the country’s sovereignty over the area.

But Roque clarified that FPRRD made no specific “agreement” on Ayungin Shoal.

He said that the deal made with China was to “respect the status quo” in the entire West Philippine Sea.

However, Duterte’s presidential adviser Salvador Panelo claimed in an interview over SMNI on Monday (01 April 2024) that the ex-president “did not enter” any gentleman’s agreement.

“While we realize that accountability is important in the issue of whether or not a so-called ‘gentleman’s agreement’ was forged with China regarding the BRP Sierra Madre and Ayungin Shoal, we Filipinos must not lose sight of the fact that the main threat to our rights in the WPS is the Chinese Government’s illegal activities,” the defense chief stood firm in a statement.

Ayungin Shoal is called Ren’ai Jiao by China.

(el Amigo/MNM)

By Junex Doronio

MANILA — Aware of the formidable military might of China, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro has underscored the importance of the Philippines’ relationship with its old ally United States as tensions in the West Philippine Sea persists.

This came on the heels of what appeared to be China’s “calculated show of force when Chinese ships staged a rare “invasion” of Ayungin or Second Thomas Shoal in the WPS.

Citing satellite images by Planet Labs, Ray Powell, SeaLight director at the Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, revealed that on Monday, December 11, as many as 11 Chinese maritime militia vessels were observed in the Ayungin Shoal.

“This highly unusual invasion of the shoal’s interior appears to have been a calculated show of force by Beijing,” Powell wrote in an analysis on the SeaLight website on Thursday, December 14.

On Friday, December 15, Teodoro said he believes Beijing is “converting the South China Sea into a lake of China” by strategically deploying its coast guard, not its military vessels, in the disputed waterway.

To recall, China has long been insisting that it owns virtually the whole of the South China Sea, including the WPS.

It also does not recognize the 2016 arbitral award by a UN-backed court invalidating its 9-dash nine claim.

“[US support] translates to several things, more importantly our concrete iterations of helping us in our capability upgrades so we have more robust defense system to be able to enforce our territorial jurisdiction and sovereignty,” Teodoro stressed.

(ai/mnm)

By Liezelle Soriano

IPINAGTANGGOL ni Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro ang hinihiling na P150 milyong confidential funds ng Department of Education.

Para sa 2024, iminungkahi ng DepEd ang nasabing confidential funds kaugnay ng seguridad ng mga estudyante.

Subalit tinutulan ito ng mga mambabatas at sinabing dapat ipaubaya ang surveillance activities sa intelligence gathering agencies ng pamahalaan.

“The youth are the most impressionable targets for potential influencing,” sabi ni Teodoro sa panayam sa ANC nang tanungin kung sang-ayon siya sa confidential funds ng DepEd.

“I mean they would be the most vulnerable targets for exploitation by malefactors or those who wish ill against this country.”

Ngunit ipinunto ni Teodoro na ang mga ahensiya na humihirit ng confidential funds ay dapat bigyang-katwiran ang kanilang kahilingan.