MANILA — The Department of National Defense (DND) pushed back against Beijing after a Chinese foreign ministry official warned Philippine officials to “pay the price,” saying the threat would not silence Manila’s defense establishment or stop it from calling out what it described as China’s lies and malign actions in the West Philippine Sea.
The rebuke followed a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun aimed at what he called “relevant individuals in the Philippines.”
“Immediately stop making provocations and stop confusing right and wrong, or they will pay the price for what they did,” Guo said.
In response, DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said the language used by Beijing would not intimidate the department or the Armed Forces of the Philippines.
“The Department of National Defense and the Armed Forces of the Philippines strongly condemn such an affront to any of its members and reiterates that it shall not be cowed by any official of the PROC (People’s Republic of China) whether in their homeland or as guests here,” Andolong said in a statement.
“We shall continue to speak against their lies and malign actions when such are committed,” he added.
The DND further criticized Beijing’s posture, saying the remarks reflected a continued effort to mislead and pressure smaller states.
“The DND responded by saying that such statements ‘proves the unflinching and twisted attempt by the PROC to spread distorted narratives and pursue its ineffective and distasteful campaign to bully smaller countries.’”
Andolong also reiterated Manila’s position on the disputed waters.
“The WPS (West Philippine Sea) and any of its features have never been part of the PROC and we shall continue to perform our duty to stop the PROC’s malign influence and illegal activities in our areas of jurisdiction,” he added.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila had not issued a response as of posting time, according to GMA News Online.
The latest exchange comes after China lodged a diplomatic protest against Philippine Coast Guard West Philippine Sea spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela, whom Beijing criticized for his online posts about Chinese leaders. Tarriela has said his statements were based on “factual accounts.”
Tensions have remained high in the South China Sea, where China asserts sweeping claims despite overlapping claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Manila refers to waters within its maritime entitlements as the West Philippine Sea.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled that China’s expansive claims had “no legal basis,” a decision Beijing continues to reject./PN
