Gibo Teodoro’s bratty outbursts harmful to PH interests

THE Korea Herald, a newspaper owned by a Korean business conglomerate, headlined the September annual 2026 Seoul Security Dialogue (SSD) this way, “Seoul security forum becomes stage for Philippine minister to slam China.”

Four months previously, at the IISI Shangri-la Dialogue held last May in Singapore, Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto ‘Gibo’ Teodoro, was also the highlight of the show, lambasting China over the South China dispute with ad hominem and skipping rational, fact-based arguments, repeating his allegations of China’s purported “deficit of trust and credibility.”

It has become clear that these Western controlled forums are used to hyper-dramatize issues the United States seeks to highlight for the year.

Secretary Teodoro’s tirades against China are however not granted on facts or consensus even within ASEAN. The highly credible 2026 ISEAS-Yusof survey based in Singapore showed 52 percent of ASEAN countries trust China more than they trust the United States.

Is Teodoro thus trying to divide ASEAN unity by persistently demonizing China over issues surrounding the South China Sea dispute involving not just the Philippines and over arguments that are fat on jingoism and the language of hate and media optics but starving of substance and diplomatic language?

During the plenary session discussion at the Seoul forum, Teodoro turned (again) to the SCS dispute, “accusing some countries of using hostility and unchecked power at the expense of smaller states,” the Korea Herald reported.

As he continues to lambast China, a note “from someone in the audience” was passed on to him and Teodoro reacted by saying, “This seems to be a note from China,” before reading it aloud.

Although relying mainly from press reports, the more astute followers of the Seoul proceeding even from afar suspect that the whole scenario “smells.”

The note stated China’s rejection of the “arbitration award” and “China neither accepted nor recognized the ruling.”

The news reports that followed maintained the US narrative that China’s claim to historic rights over much of the South China Sea is under its “nine-dash line” claim, a statement that is false and misleading. China’s claim is based on specific island features and islands rather than an open sea. Teodoro repeating the yarn that China lost the 2016 PCA arbitration is another falsehood because China never participated in the process.

Teodoro was also quoted as claiming, “If the note represented China’s position, it amounted to ‘throwing UNCLOS on the floor and trampling on it.’”

He did not mention that both the Philippines and China opted out of the provision on ‘compulsory arbitration” when they ratified the UNCLOS Treaty so China cannot be accused of violating UNCLOS.

What subsequent events established is that it is the Philippines, maneuvered by the US (which is not a party to UNCLOS) that resorted to unilateral arbitration at the PCA in violation of its UNCLOS obligation of non-compulsory arbitration in order realize its “lawfare” and “information war” versus China as envisioned by the United States all along.

Teodoro also said the note he purportedly received from the Chinese side “not only disrespects international law… it also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious hosts, the Republic of Korea,” a riposte that really lacks logic and reason.

First, a panel discussion expects questions and reactions from the audience. Second, there was no foul language in the note. Third, it is Teodoro with his irrational, ad hominem response that is indecent and disrespectful to the host.

The Seoul Security Dialogie is heavily US-influenced. Hence, Teodoro was preaching to the choir. But an objective observer would see that Teodoro was spewing sweeping emotionally charged allegations unbacked by facts and full of omissions of legal UNCLOS and arbitration award provisions.

As has been his habit, Teodoro always forgot to mention Paragraph 272 of the PCA award that states that the Tribunal’s decision on maritime entitlements does not address or comment on sovereignty over land territory or historic claims to the islands themselves.

Teodoro is behaving like a raving madman making enemies not only of China but also of officials of his government and disrespecting the carefully crafted policy decisions of professionals at our Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

He is also undermining the effort of the Metro Maila Development Authority (MMDA), which has been reported of seeking a $200-million loan from China’s AIIB for flood control.

He is also undermining the effort of Finance Secretary Frederick Go, who just recently called for more investments from China to jumpstart our stalled economy.

And yes, he has repeatedly undermined the policy pronouncement of the appointing authority, President Bongbong Marcos Junior, who wants a “reset” in our relationship with China.

Being rude, uncouth and bad-mouthing China every opportunity he gets is destructive of Philippine national interests.