The Armed Forces of the Philippines has expressed “absolute solidarity” with Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro following sanctions imposed on him by China.
Military spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Trinidad described the measures as “unilateral” and “ungrounded”, calling them a “transparent attempt at political intimidation”. He added that the sanctions would not deter the armed forces from carrying out its constitutional duties, particularly in the South China Sea.
China's foreign ministry announced on 11 June that it had imposed sanctions on Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and his immediate family, accusing him of repeatedly making remarks that undermined China's "legitimate interests" and bilateral relations.
The sanctions bar Teodoro, his wife and child from entering mainland China, Hong Kong and Macau. Chinese entities are also prohibited from conducting transactions, collaborations or other activities with them.
The ministry said the measures were intended to "safeguard China's national sovereignty, security, and development interests", but did not specify which of Teodoro's statements had prompted the action.
Last week, Beijing criticised the Philippine defence chief, claiming he had shown no appreciation for China's supply of essential commodities and accusing him of using public welfare issues for political point-scoring. The comments came after Teodoro described China as a threat.
He told Reuters at Singapore's Shangri-La Dialogue, Asia's leading defence forum:
"For countries like the Philippines, which faces serious territorial and political threats from China, we have no choice but to be resilient and stand up against Chinese aggression."
Following unconfirmed reports of a China entry ban, Teodoro reportedly told local broadcaster ABS-CBN:
"I have no assets in China and no plans to go there. Even if I wanted to visit because of the food and the people, it is overshadowed by the government they have."
China and the Philippines have clashed repeatedly in the South China Sea in recent years. Beijing continues to assert sweeping territorial claims that overlap with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, despite a 2016 international arbitration ruling rejecting the legal basis for many of its claims.
Earlier this week, Manila took diplomatic action against Beijing over what it described as the "illegal presence" of a floating structure at a disputed atoll.
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