Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. clarified that Filipinos should not be labeled pro-China based solely on their personal beliefs, amid ongoing discussions regarding government officials allegedly backing Beijing’s stance on the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Teodoro stated that the Department of National Defense (DND) strictly adheres to objective criteria when dealing with matters that could impact a citizen’s standing.
“The DND works on objective criteria and no other standard in cases involving the reputation of our citizens,” Teodoro said in a statement.
The defense chief’s remarks were issued after Vice President Sara Duterte challenged him to name the officials he previously hinted should resign if they align with China’s position on the WPS.
Duterte warned that withholding specific names risks creating baseless speculation, including doubts over President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s position.
Teodoro had earlier asserted that elected officials unwilling to defend the country’s territorial stand should step down or bring the issue before the Supreme Court.
Clarifying how such acts are determined, Teodoro outlined two necessary criteria: actively opposing Administrative Order No. 29—which defined the West Philippine Sea in 2012—and refusing to recognize its validity.
“In this situation, the standard is simple: who not only opposes AO29, but also refuses to recognize it, both elements being necessary, especially in light of our recent filing of nautical charts for Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag,” he said.
He further emphasized that the defense department avoids baseless labeling, drawing a parallel to how the agency rejects red-tagging practices.
“In the same way that red-tagging and other such ad hoc practices are not employed by this organization, tagging Filipinos on the basis of belief rather than covert or overt acts is not done by the Defense Department,” he said.