Teodoro: DND uses 'objective criteria' in identifying officials opposing WPS policy

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Friday maintained that the Department of National Defense (DND) uses "objective criteria" in identifying public officials who oppose the country's policy on the West Philippine Sea (WPS), responding to criticisms from the Vice President. Teodoro explained that the DND's assessment hinges on whether a public official both opposes Administrative Order (AO) No. 29 and refuses to recognize it. He added that this standard is particularly relevant in light of recent developments such as the filing of nautical charts for Bajo de Masinloc and Panatag. The Defense chief stressed that his department does not engage in labeling individuals based solely on their political views or beliefs. "In the same way that red-tagging and other such ad hoc practices are not employed by this organization, tagging Filipinos on the basis of belief rather than covert or overt acts is not done by the Defense Department," he stated. This comes a day after Vice President Sara Duterte dared Teodoro to identify the government officials he had previously referred to as "pro-China," urging them to resign if they refused to uphold the country's WPS policy. The Vice President argued that it was unfair to make such allegations without naming those involved. Meanwhile, Davao City 1st District Representative Paolo "Pulong" Duterte criticized Teodoro's earlier remarks, asserting that elected officials derive their mandate from the people, not from the Defense secretary. He further accused Teodoro of "demonizing China" and conducting loyalty tests for elected officials. Malacañang, for its part, described Paolo Duterte's remarks as "very alarming," saying they raised questions about his allegiance to the Philippines. The exchange highlights differing approaches within the Philippines regarding its stance on the WPS and underscores the complexities of domestic politics surrounding the issue. Source: GMA News Philippines