By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In a bid to uphold the integrity of Philippine institutions and shield them from unwanted interference of foreign powers, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) expressed support for the indefinite suspension of military-to-military communications between the DND and China.
This, as Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. became the punchline of recent social media posts by the Chinese Embassy, which warned that the continued shutdown of the communications channel may culminate in soldiers being sent to the frontlines.
An excerpt from the Embassy’s social media post read, “But Gibo Teodoro decided to shut down mil-mil communication between China and the Philippines for political self-interest. His move fuels mistrust, narrows the space for crisis management, and pushes frontline personnel closer to confrontation.”
As a response to China’s online rhetoric, the DND reshared an earlier statement made by Secretary Teodoro Jr. upon his assumption of the post in 2023, where he ordered the suspension of contact between the agency and the Chinese embassy.
The action came on the heels of the courtesy call of then-Ambassador Huang Xilian, with the Chinese embassy claiming that there was a discussion or briefing on a “gentleman’s agreement” or “new model,” which he refuted and dismissed as blatant lies and considered a form of betrayal.
The resurfaced statement from 2024 read, “I am issuing this statement to generate awareness on this clear attempt by China to advance another falsehood in order to divide our people and distract us from their unlawful presence and actions in our EEZ.”
AFP Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad (Ret.) said in a statement, “Bilateral dialogue will be effective if the messages match the actions on sea, air and ground. Unfortunately, this has not been the case. The direct communications have been used as a smoke screen by the Chinese Communist Party to perpetrate their illegal presence, coercive and aggressive actions, and deceptive messaging.”
The AFP official concluded by underscoring the importance of mutual trust, sincerity, and adherence to international law as key components of a working communication mechanism between militaries of two countries. (with report from Patrick de Jesus | PTV News)
jpv
