Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Article (news)

ABS-CBN News, file

ABS-CBN News

MANILA (UPDATED) — The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it is &quot;in absolute solidarity&quot; with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. after China imposed sanctions for him for his remarks about the country.Teodoro and his family have been barred from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday. Chinese firms are also prohibited from engaging with them.&quot;These sanctions are a transparent attempt at political intimidation, meant to silence those who expose coercive and illegal actions in our exclusive economic zone,&quot; the AFP said.<div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/12/defense-chief-teodoro-says-to-keep-doing-my-duty-after-china-sanctions-0813">Defense chief Teodoro says to &#x27;keep doing my duty&#x27; after China sanctions </a></div>It said Teodoro&#x27;s remarks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore in late May are &quot;clear, accurate representations of international law, the 2016 Arbitral Award, and the sovereign rights of the Filipino people.&quot; The military said the sanctions on the defense secretary will not keep it from conducting patrols in the West Philippine Sea, protecting fishers, and &quot;[defending] our sovereignty and every inch of Philippine sovereign rights&quot; there.In a separate statement, Akbayan Party-List Rep. Perci Cendaña called the sanctions are a &quot;testament to such valiant defense of our sovereignty.&quot;The lawmaker lauded Teodoro and said he &quot;joins the honor roll of individuals who have earned Beijing&#x27;s ire for their actions to defend the West Philippine Sea.&quot;In February, <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/10/chinese-embassy-says-kalayaan-officials-not-welcome-in-china-1911">China banned town officials of Kalayaan, Palawan</a> from its territories after the local government declared Chinese Ambassador Jing Quan persona non grata for supposed violations of diplomatic protocol and interference in Philippine internal affairs. Pag-Asa Island in the West Philippine Sea is part of the Kalayaan group of islands under the municipality of Kalayaan.China in July 2025 banned Labor Secretary Francis Tolentino, who, as senator had held hearings on alleged Chinese espionage and influence operations and helped pass the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act to bolster the Philippine position on the West Philippine Sea. <div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/1/china-imposes-sanction-vs-tolentino-ex-senator-calls-it-badge-of-honor-1330">China imposes sanction vs Tolentino; ex-senator calls it &#x27;badge of honor&#x27;</a></div>In 2019, former Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/05/21/19/ex-ombudsman-carpio-denied-entry-to-hong-kong-source">was denied entry to Hong Kong and briefly held there </a>by immigration authorities.No explanation was given for the denial of entry, but Carpio Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario had hauled Chinese President Xi Jinping to the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity.Cendaña said in his statement issued on the anniversary of Independence Day that other officials should emulate Teodoro, West Philippine Sea frontliners and fisherfolk communities &quot;who are consistent in their patriotism and resistance against China&#x27;s relentless bullying.&quot;<div> </div><div>DE LIMA: GOVERNMENT CANNOT IGNORE SANCTIONS</div>Mamamayang Liberal Party-List Rep. Leila De Lima meanwhile said the government must see the sanctions against Teodoro &quot;as nothing less than a national issue&quot; as she called for stiffer measures on China&#x27;s actions related to the West Philippine Sea.She said that Liberal Party and <a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/9/new-wps-bloc-in-house-eyes-probe-into-ph-china-lgu-deals-1557">WPS bloc</a> lawmakers at the House had filed a resolution for the executive branch to &quot;take a bolder diplomatic stance&quot; on China, including &quot;declaring persona non grata any embassy spokesperson or other foreign diplomat engaged in improper conduct.&quot;That resolution was ignored, she said.&quot;Ngayon, China pa ang may ganang pagbawalan ang ating opisyal na makapasok sa kanila.&quot;(Now China has the gall to ban our official from their territories.)

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it is "in absolute solidarity" with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. after China imposed sanctions for him for his remarks about the country.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it is "in absolute solidarity" with Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. after China imposed sanctions for him for his remarks about the country.

AFP, Akbayan back Teodoro over China sanctions

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AFP, Akbayan back Teodoro over China sanctions

ABS-CBN News

Published June 12, 2026 03:27 PM PHT

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Updated June 13, 2026 08:46 AM PHT

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Gilberto Teodoro Jr.

Armed Forces of the Philippines

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South China Sea

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