DND seeks NBI probe into fake Teodoro letter on Ayungin Shoal
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) has referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) a fake letter purportedly signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. concerning an operation at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, saying its circulation was part of a foreign interference campaign aimed at discrediting the Philippine government.
DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said on Tuesday that the letter, supposedly addressed to a certain Peter Enzminger, was fabricated.
“The Department unequivocally states that the document and its content are obviously and absolutely false and fake,” Andolong said in a statement.
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“This is yet another episode of foreign interference and malign influence that is intended to discredit the legitimate and lawful efforts of the Philippine government to assert its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.
The two-page letter, which bore what appeared to be Teodoro’s signature, claimed that the defense chief had approved an operation at Ayungin Shoal on July 20 intended to expose Chinese actions ahead of the 59th Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
It also contained claims about Philippine domestic politics and the country’s alliance with the United States, including a purported commitment by Teodoro to maintain support for the alliance regardless of changes in the domestic political climate.
The DND did not identify who was behind the letter’s circulation or provide evidence linking it to a foreign entity.
On July 20, two Philippine Navy personnel were injured during a confrontation with the China Coast Guard (CCG) near the grounded BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal.
CCG personnel struck a Filipino serviceman on the head with a wooden baton during the confrontation.
The Philippine Coast Guard evacuated the two injured personnel the following day despite what it described as blocking maneuvers by Chinese vessels. One serviceman sustained a head injury and arm bruising, while the other suffered a cut to an index finger that weakened his grip.
The incident prompted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to summon Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan to Malacañang, while Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro raised the Philippines’ protest with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Asean Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Manila.
Beijing denied the Philippine military’s account and blamed Filipino personnel for provoking the confrontation. /mcm
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