Teodoro Denounces China's Rejection of SCS Ruling at Seoul Forum

Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. on Tuesday denounced China after receiving a note in the middle of an international forum reiterating Beijing’s refusal to acknowledge the 2016 South China Sea (SCS) arbitral ruling. In a video posted on the Department of National Defense’s Facebook page, Mr. Teodoro read aloud a note handed to him while speaking at the Seoul Defense Dialogue 2026, which stated China’s position on the award. “The so-called award is illegal, null, and void,” the note said, as read by Mr. Teodoro. China also maintained the award has “no binding force” and that it would not accept any claim or action arising from it. Mr. Teodoro asked how China could reject the ruling while being a party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). “So, what you’re saying is UNCLOS violates international law?” he said in response. The secretary also questioned the propriety of giving him the note while he was responding to a question on the floor, saying the act showed disrespect toward the forum’s organizers and South Korea, its host. Mr. Teodoro said that the situation in the South China Sea had gone beyond what could be considered a gray-zone issue. “This is not a gray zone anymore,” he said. “This is actual coercion, bullying, and aggression.” “I will keep this paper as a memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience.” — Pexcel John Bacon