Marcos Jr. Criticizes China's Sanctions on Defense Chief, Stresses Dialogue

PRESIDENT Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. on Sunday criticized China’s decision to sanction Defense Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr., calling the move “very unhelpful” and saying it raises tensions instead of helping manage disputes in the South China Sea. “The declaration by Beijing of Secretary Teodoro as persona non grata… is very unhelpful, in my view,” Mr. Marcos said in a livestreamed media briefing from Vancouver at the end of his official visit to Canada on Sunday, Manila time. He said the sanctions do little to advance efforts to resolve maritime disputes and instead increase the risk of miscalculation, adding that while China has the prerogative to make such decisions, the Philippines will continue keeping communication channels with Beijing open. Mr. Marcos said cutting off communication between the two countries’ defense establishments is counterproductive, although Manila remains committed to maintaining dialogue through government, commercial and people-to-people exchanges. He also expressed concern that future Philippine administrations could adopt a different approach to defending the country’s maritime claims after his term ends in 2028. “If you’re asking me if I’m worried that the policy of the Philippines will change after I leave office, of course I am,” he said. “It’s almost an existential issue for us.” The remarks came ahead of the 10th anniversary of the July 12, 2016 arbitral ruling, in which an international tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea voided China’s sweeping claims over most of the South China Sea and affirmed the Philippines’ maritime entitlements in the West Philippine Sea. Beijing has rejected the ruling, while Manila continues to invoke it in asserting its maritime rights. Separately, the Stratbase Institute called on the government to accelerate the modernization of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), saying the country should complement its legal victory with stronger defense capabilities. “The arbitral award gave the Philippines legal standing; the next decade must deliver strategic strength,” Stratbase Institute President Victor Andres “Dindo” C. Manhit said in a statement. He said the government should fully implement the comprehensive archipelagic defense concept by developing a technologically capable multi-domain military able to operate across land, sea, air, cyber and information domains. Mr. Manhit also said protecting the country’s interests requires a whole-of-society approach involving the government, civil society, academia, the private sector, religious groups, media and international partners. The institute cited a 2025 Pulse Asia survey showing that strengthening the AFP and Philippine Coast Guard ranked as Filipinos’ top priority in defending the country’s maritime rights, ahead of expanded security partnerships, joint patrols and military exercises with allies. It also cited a May 2026 survey showing that 86% of Filipinos support the government’s efforts to defend the West Philippine Sea alongside like-minded countries in line with the 2016 arbitral ruling. “The survey results show that Filipinos understand that defending the West Philippine Sea requires more than legal arguments and diplomatic statements,” Mr. Manhit said. — Erika Mae P. Sinaking and Pexcel John Bacon