PH becoming a ‘troublemaker’? Teodoro hits back at VP Sara: ‘Ipinaglalaban lang natin ang karapatan natin’

MANILA — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday defended Filipino troops asserting the country’s maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea, rejecting Vice President Sara Duterte’s characterization of the Philippines as a “troublemaker” in Southeast Asia.

Duterte made the comment after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called alleged remittances from a Chinese state-owned firm into a company linked to the vice president’s husband a potential national security issue. 

“Masasabi mo ba ang ating sundalo na nagsasakripisyo diyan ay troublemaker na ipinaglalaban lang natin ang karapatan natin? Sa karagatan na ‘yan ang future ng sustainability ng ating bansa,” Teodoro said during a press briefing on October 14.

(Can you call our troops making sacrifices there ‘troublemakers’ for standing for our rights? Our future sustainability as a nation lies in those waters.)

Teodoro also questioned China’s track record as a development partner as he raised issues around sub-standard steel, alleged illegal mining and the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators that the Philippines initially accredited before banning.

Teodoro’s remarks came after Duterte, during a press conference on October 12, criticized allegations involving Chinese remittances to Cale88 Foods Corp., a company linked to her husband, lawyer Manases Carpio.

Duterte asked why doing business with China was being associated with a national security risk, noting that many Philippine companies also engage in trade with the country.

“So ano ba talaga? Bawal ba talaga magnegosyo with China kasi it is a national security risk?” Duterte said.

(So, what is it? Is doing business with China prohibited because it is a national security risk?)

“Nagiging troublemaker of Southeast Asia tayo,” she also said.

(We are becoming the troublemaker of Southeast Asia.)

Teodoro clarified that doing business with China is not automatically prohibited, but said transactions involving public officials must be examined based on the circumstances and applicable rules.

“Some are not, some are and that is a question which has to be determined [by] proper investigative authorities,” he said.

He added that transactions involving an influential public official warrant careful scrutiny.

The controversy stemmed from testimony by Anti-Money Laundering Council Executive Director Ronel Buenaventura during Duterte’s impeachment proceedings last week.

Buenaventura said Cale88 Foods Corp. received P319.33 million in inward remittances from mainland China and Hong Kong.

Marcos Jr. earlier said the Department of National Defense was investigating the alleged remittances, describing them as a “threat at the highest level” if the allegations are true.

Duterte, however, accused her critics of inventing evidence and said the impeachment case against her is collapsing.