The Department of National Defense has condemned recent remarks made by a spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, calling them an affront to Philippine uniformed personnel and rejecting what it described as distorted narratives.
In a statement dated January 24, the DND cited comments attributed to the Chinese spokesperson, who said that “Certain Philippine uniformed service members, driven by personal political motives, have repeatedly made outrageous and absurd statements and habitually incite confrontation. Such behavior is despicable.”
The spokesperson further warned, “A word of advice to 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.”
The DND strongly denounced the remarks, stating that it “strongly condemn[s] such an affront to any of its members and reiterates that it shall not be cowed by any official of the PROC whether in their homeland or as guests here, and we shall continue to speak against their lies and malign actions when such are committed.”
According to the defense department, the statement “proves the unflinching and twisted attempt by the PROC to spread distorted narratives and to continue with its ineffective and distasteful campaign to bully smaller countries.”
The DND also reiterated the Philippines’ position on the West Philippine Sea, stressing that “The WPS 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.”
The statement was issued by Assistant Secretary Arsenio R. Andolong, spokesperson of the Department of National Defense, and concluded with a declaration of national resolve.
