DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Thursday accused China of meddling in Philippine politics as internal divisions among Filipinos widen.
‘They accused me of personal political motives. They are interfering in our politics-this is no longer diplomacy. They are wading into Philippine internal affairs, and this should not pass,’ Teodoro said in a radio interview.
Asked if China was attempting to divide and conquer, Teodoro replied, ‘definitely.’
‘De-escalation will happen if Filipinos stand united against them. It is obvious they are fooling and dividing us. The escalation does not come from us-we are simply stating facts against them,’ he added.
Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan has drawn sharp criticism after claiming last week that China would win ‘easily’ if it used force in the West Philippine Sea, though he maintained Beijing would not do so. While several government officials defended Jing-including Sen. Robinhood Padilla, who called the envoy a gentleman.
‘That is Senator Robin’s opinion, but the majority disagrees,’ Teodoro said.
Lawmakers from both houses of Congress have filed resolutions urging President Marcos Jr. to declare Jing persona non grata. In response, the Chinese Embassy targeted several Filipino personalities and went so far as to ‘ban’ the House lawmakers behind the resolution from entering China.
Teodoro noted that while Jing’s conduct is unacceptable, President Marcos must weigh multiple factors before deciding on expulsion, noting that the envoy merely acts on instructions from Beijing.
‘Even if you replace him, what is the point if his successor does the exact same thing? The real solution is to halt their actions and clarify that there are limits to what they can do here. It is not about the individual,’ Teodoro explained.
Malacañan previously said that Marcos is not inclined to expel Jing, emphasizing that this decision does not mean the Philippines is relinquishing its claims in the West Philippine Sea.