Defending maritime rights is not ‘being a troublemaker’, says AFP

MANILA — Defending the Philippines’ maritime rights does not make the country a “troublemaker,” Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said Tuesday in response to Vice President Sara Duterte’s remarks on Chinese remittances to a company linked to her husband.

“When you stand up for your own rights, when you stand up for your maritime rights that are legally and rightfully yours, you are not a troublemaker,” Trinidad said during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.

He said that countries that “occupy your territory [and] would like to sow false narratives to advance their interests” are the ones causing trouble in the region.

Duterte on Monday said the Philippines was becoming a “troublemaker of Southeast Asia,” citing the controversy over the alleged Chinese remittances and recent drug seizures in Laos and Thailand involving shipments reportedly bound for the Philippines.

She made the remarks when asked about allegations that Chinese state-owned enterprises remitted P319 million to Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to her husband, Manases Carpio.

Trinidad stressed that receiving funds from abroad is not illegal, as these may come in the form of loans, investments, donations, or grants.

However, he said the appropriate government agencies should investigate the alleged Chinese remittances.

“More so if proven that these funds were used to advance the position of our adversary because these will have very serious national security implications,” Trinidad said.

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said over the weekend that the Department of National Defense was “thoroughly investigating” the alleged remittances, describing them as a “threat at the highest level” if true.

During Duterte’s impeachment proceedings last week, Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura testified that Cale88 Foods Corporation received P319.33 million in inward remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Senator-judge Risa Hontiveros said the businesses that allegedly remitted the money to the Duterte-linked corporation were Chinese state-owned entities, based on her investigation.