By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
After the so-called “Seoul incident” stirred up renewed focus on China’s increasing assertiveness over the West Philippine Sea, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. called out Beijing for disrespecting him during his speech at the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2026 in South Korea.
Sec. Teodoro Jr. likewise issued a rebuttal against the pronouncements of China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, who categorized his remarks as “provocations and theatrics”.
During the luncheon armchair discussion of the Manila Strategy Forum 2026 on Thursday, he maintained that the Philippines continues to recognize the 2016 Arbitral Ruling anchored on the principles set forth by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which recognizes the country’s jurisdiction over several islands and features in the West Philippine Sea.
“I know that the person who slipped it to the organizers was merely a functionary of China. I really hope they don’t place him in a gulag or freezer in Siberia somewhere or in Manchuria. I pity the guy and the safety of his family too.”
The Defense chief emphasized, “I have too much respect for our Korean brothers and sisters to stage something like that.”
This flare-up closely follows flare incidents that took place at Mischief Reef and Subi Reef recently, further drawing ire and condemnation from Philippine authorities.
Despite these threatening actions on the domestic airspace, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said that it remains unfazed by these provocations and will continue to conduct routine patrols in the hotly contested maritime domain. (with report from Patrick de Jesus | PTV News)
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