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‘Have basic decency’: Philippines' Teodoro rebukes China after note interrupts Seoul forum
The Philippine Defence Minister had been the subject of repeated challenges by Chinese authorities and military officials in his talks abroad over the Chinese nine-dash line claim
- PUBLISHED: Tue 8 Sept 2026, 5:35 PM
The Philippine-China word war over the Chinese nine-dash line claim in the majority of the South China Sea (SCS) continues to inflame tensions as Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr was again hounded by what he believed was a Chinese operator while he was speaking at the annual Seoul Defense Dialogue multilateral security forum on Tuesday.
Mid-sentence, Teodoro held up a handwritten note handed to him that he read publicly, denouncing it as Chinese "coercion, bullying and aggression."
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The note, according to Teodoro, said: “China’s position on the SCS arbitration was clear, consistent and firm. The arbitration violates fundamental principles of international law. The so-called award (in favor of the Philippines) was illegal, null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognises the award and opposes it and will never accept any claim arising from it.”
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Teodoro annotated his reading by asserting that such statements from China are expected of a country that disrespects its signature adhering to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). He added China lost in the complaint filed by the Philippines with the International Tribunal in July 2016.
No one stood up to claim authorship of the note, even as Teodoro sarcastically said the note did China a great service. “And I hope you don’t suffer in a Gulag for it,” he added.
Watch the video below:
MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO | Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to a note from the Chinese side during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.#DNDPHL #DiKaPasisiil #SDD2026 pic.twitter.com/fsCRVphkgf
— Department of National Defense - Philippines (@dndphl) September 8, 2026
Propaganda disguised as questions
The Philippine official had been the subject of repeated challenges by Chinese authorities and military officials in his talks abroad regarding the contested waters. In the 2025 and 2026 Shangri-La Dialogue security summits in Singapore, he earned nods when he dubbed questions from Chinese military officers as “propaganda disguised as questions.”
In Malaysia last year, Teodoro intentionally avoided and refused to engage in bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart during an Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting after the Chinese Defense Ministry accused the Philippines of "blackmailing" China right before the summit began. Teodoro asked: "Would you talk to someone who insulted your country that way?"
Outside international forums, Teodoro spearheaded the deployment of US missile batteries in Philippine islands closest to Taiwan that rankled Beijing.
China retaliated against Teodoro by banning him and his immediate family from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macao, accusing Teodoro of making "irresponsible remarks" that sabotaged bilateral relations. Teodoro was unfazed, saying it is China’s right to choose persons to allow in its territory.
"That is truly what they do to those who speak the truth against their deception," he said.
'Basic decency needed'
The Filipino defence chief earned applause from the audience when he pointed out the impropriety and rudeness of the note.
"Is this the right paper to post to me when I'm being asked a question on the floor? It not only disrespects international law ... but it also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious hosts, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of the audience here," he retorted.
He also advised China to demonstrate decency in its conduct in international forums. "So, perhaps, basic decency and behavior is what China needs to do," he said, underscoring that he was the one speaking on behalf of the Philippine position when interrupted by his receipt of the paper.
In his speech prior to the open forum where the incident happened, Teodoro addressed the dialogue’s plenary session, urging countries to implement a rules-based collaborative security architecture driven by human security.
What the festering issue is
China’s nine-dash line unilaterally claims 90 per cent of the SCS, including the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei and the territory of Taiwan.
The superpower has built military installations on land features well-within the Philippine exclusive economic zone to strengthen its claims. It has also attacked Philippine military personnel, resulting in several injuries over the years of dispute.
China has recently admitted to the loss of two military personnel on August 25 when a Chinese People’s Liberation Army (Navy) destroyer and a Chinese Coast Guard cutter collided while hounding a Philippine Coast Guard boat. The Chinese boats were outmaneuvered by the substantially smaller Filipino vessel.
China, on the other hand, accuses the Ferdinand Marcos Jr. government of letting itself be used by US military interests in the Western Pacific region.