Vice President Sara Duterte called on Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. on Thursday to publicly name the government officials he claimed were siding with China regarding the West Philippine Sea (WPS) dispute.
She warned that broad allegations without specific names risk placing other public leaders, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., under unwarranted suspicion.
Duterte raised the issue during an interview with reporters following the Thanksgiving Mass for the Kadayawan Festival at San Pedro Cathedral in Davao City.
Emphasizing the need for public transparency regarding Teodoro’s statements, Duterte stated:
”Siguro para klaro, sa lahat ng mga kababayan natin dapat pangalanan kung sino yung mga officials na tinutukoy niya na nagde-defend sa China over the West Philippine Sea issue.”
The Vice President’s remarks were made in response to Teodoro’s earlier declaration that any government official defending Beijing’s stance amid the ongoing maritime dispute should step down from public office.
Duterte stressed that officials must refrain from issuing generalized accusations that confuse the public and cast widespread doubt on colleagues.
”Kasi hindi pwedeng magbitaw ka ng ganoon na salita, hindi mo naman pangalanan yung mga opisyal.”
She noted that leaving such allegations open-ended invites speculation, potentially harming the credibility of individuals who were never involved.
”At syempre suspect kahit ang Presidente natin kasali sa suspect doon kasi walang pangalan, walang listahan ng pangalan.”
Reiterating her point, Duterte maintained that serious claims against public servants require clear identification to avoid unnecessary misunderstandings and protect innocent officials from public suspicion.