Defiant Teodoro says China sanctions will not stop him

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MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro struck a defiant tone after China sanctioned him and his family over his remarks on Beijing, saying he would continue doing his duty despite the entry ban and restrictions imposed by the Chinese government.

"That is their right. That is truly what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception," Teodoro said in a statement posted by the Department of National Defense on Friday, June 12.

"Their own countrymen and the others under their control suffer far worse. 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," he added.

China’s foreign ministry announced Thursday, June 11, that it was imposing sanctions on Teodoro and his close relatives, accusing the Philippine defense chief of repeatedly making remarks that undermined China’s interests and damaged relations between Manila and Beijing.

The sanctions bar Teodoro, his spouse and child from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macao. Chinese organizations and individuals are also prohibited from engaging in transactions, cooperation or other activities with them.

Manila called the sanctions "an unfriendly act that further complicates the bilateral relations."

China cites Teodoro's remarks

China did not specify which remarks triggered the sanctions, but Teodoro has been one of the Marcos administration’s most outspoken critics of Beijing’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.

At the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last month, Teodoro criticized China’s continued illegal, coercive and aggressive presence at sea, saying the Philippines "will not sacrifice our territorial integrity and sovereignty."

His remarks drew a rebuke from Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who accused him of vilifying China and urged Manila to rein in its officials.

Teodoro had earlier shrugged off the prospect of a Chinese entry ban, saying he had no plans to go to China and had no assets there.

The sanctions come as relations between Manila and Beijing remain strained by repeated confrontations in the West Philippine Sea, where Chinese coast guard and maritime militia vessels have been accused of blocking, shadowing and harassing Philippine vessels.

They also came days after the Philippines protested the presence of a Chinese movable platform in Bajo de Masinloc, which Philippine officials said was unauthorized and illegal.

The Philippines has been pressing its maritime claims based on the 2016 arbitral award, which invalidated China’s sweeping claims over the South China Sea. China has rejected the ruling. — Camille Diola with Cristina Chi and Agence France Presse