Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has cautioned the public not to overlook recent assertions connecting Batanes to Taiwan, suggesting these seemingly far-fetched narratives could be strategic messaging from Beijing that requires vigilant monitoring.
Teodoro shared his insights with journalists during the National Peace Walk in Manila, an event commemorating a decade since the 2016 South China Sea arbitral victory. He emphasized that remarks from Chinese scholars carry weight due to the restrictive nature of China’s governance.
“This is signaling on their part. It’s good that it’s ridiculous, but maybe to their citizens it might not be because their citizens have no access to free information. So, we still have to take all these threats seriously,” Teodoro said.
The defense chief’s warnings come after a Chinese academic asserted that Batanes historically fell under Taiwanese territory—a region Beijing claims as its own. Filipino officials and legal authorities have dismissed the premise.
Among them is retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who dared Beijing to present its arguments before an international court if it believes the claims are legally sound.
Teodoro clarified that Manila’s primary focus is safeguarding its sovereign waters and exclusive economic zone around Batanes from any unlawful incursions.
He maintained that even if the scholar’s comments lack official government branding, they cannot be ignored given China’s internal political structure.
“Let’s dissect this. It’s not an official statement, but in a closed society like China, with the 2017 National Security Law of China, any Chinese subject, any academic who makes a statement in China, it becomes a quasi-state statement,” he said.
In addition to countering geopolitical narratives, Teodoro called on citizens to remain vigilant against covert foreign interference operating within the country.
“So, hindi lang dapat tayo bumantay dito sa mga naratibo sa China kung hindi ang gawain ng kanilang mga ahente dito,” he said.
He further explained that national security strategies are designed to protect the entirety of the Philippine maritime territory, stretching beyond the West Philippine Sea to include the Pacific coast and the Philippine Rise.
“Our preparations are for the whole Philippines, not only the West Philippine Sea,” Teodoro said.
The defense secretary affirmed that the Philippines is continuously upgrading its defensive posture to build a credible deterrent.
Reflecting on the 2016 arbitration, Teodoro conceded that while the legal victory has not stopped Beijing’s aggressive push in the South China Sea, it has eroded China’s global standing and solidified international backing for the Philippines.
“It will not deter China, which is determined. So, we have to resist China,” he said. “It has isolated and more discredited China’s claims.”
The historic July 12, 2016 arbitral award invalidated Beijing’s sweeping “nine-dash line” map. Despite China’s persistent refusal to recognize the decision, the ruling remains a binding legal anchor under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), serving as the bedrock of Manila’s maritime assertions.