Juxtaposed against the foreign department’s careful approach to Beijing is the defense department’s uncompromising stance.
Editor – Southeast Asia Analyst
The Philippine’s foreign affairs department released a warning statement towards political actors within the country reminding that the president remains as the ultimate decision maker in foreign policy and that other government officials and agencies do not and should not seek their preferred approach towards China or any other international partner. Additionally it also urged that public statements that undermine the government’s stance on foreign policy complicate diplomatic activities and erode credibility. Furthermore, the statement added that although differing views are natural and valuable in a democracy, debates from the presidential branch are to stay within standard inter agency methods. The statement was made public on the department’s facebook page, on Saturday 8th November.
Screenshot of the statement from Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs. Source : facebook/ Department of Foreign Affairs, Republic of the Philippines
This comes after numerous Philippine senators proposed and supported a resolution that urged the government to label the Chinese ambassador as an unwelcome person in the country and an ASEAN Defense Minister Meeting Plus meeting chaired by the Philippines defense secretary Teodoro Jr where the Chinese delegation was only represented by the embassy’s defense attache. The action resulted in a phone call between China and the Philippine’s respective top diplomats where the former urged the latter to “rein in” on politicians that are smearing Beijing’s name and repeatedly crossed its redline.
Juxtaposed against the foreign department’s careful approach to Beijing is the defense department’s uncompromising stance. When questioned on the accusations, secretary Teodoro Jr stood his ground and said “They were given an opportunity to articulate their position, which is not any different from what they have been articulating before.”
Secretary Gilbert Jr doubled down by calling for sustained and accelerated development of the Philippine Marine Corps during an event that celebrated the corps 76th anniversary on 7th November. “As Major General Apostol had said, the footprint of the Philippine Marine Corps of four marine brigades and one service support brigade for 7,600 islands is way, way too small,” Teodoro said.
Defense Secretary Teodoro Jr gives a speech. Source : Department of National Defense
Commentators online seemed to resonate with his stance. In fact Teodoro Jr experienced a sharp increase in popularity since the Seoul incident. Many of his supporters are even urging him to run for president in 2028 to which he plans to keep options open.
Although the Philippine’s relatively firm stance against China’s aggression in the South China Sea remained consistent since President Marcos Jr’s administration, the archipelago is essentially alone in its struggle. Its fellow maritime Southeast Asian neighbours remain preoccupied with haze from Indonesia that’s affecting Timor Leste, Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. While to mainland Southeast Asian countries, maritime conflict remains less of a priority while being preoccupied by regional diplomatic spats.
Jasmine Pingol is an Archipelagic Southeast Asia columnist for Southeast Asia Analyst, based in Manila.
