MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang brushed off a Chinese state media commentary that called Pres. Beningo Aquino III "ignorant" and an "amateurish politician" for making an analogy between Adolf Hitler and China's maritime aggression.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Sec. Sonny Coloma said local or foreign newspapers are free to give their own comments, but the Philippine government "will just remain focused on achieving what is best for our national interests."
"We will not be swayed or distracted by commentary that is not fully aligned with our own position," Coloma said at a televised press briefing on Thursday.
The commentary from Chinese government-owned Xinhua criticized Aquino, who earlier likened Beijing's assertive territorial claims to Nazi Germany's acquisition of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland in an interview with The New York Times.
Aquino said in the interview that it should be remembered that world powers agreed to give Sudetenland to Nazi Germany in an attempt to prevent Hitler from demanding more territories across Europe.
Coloma said the President only wanted other nations "to acknowledge the lessons from history to achieve a certain amount of solidarity in order to ensure that the principles of rule of law will be held."
Aquino had said that like Czechoslovakia, the Philippines should get more world support in resisting China's claims.
But the Xinhua commentary said Aquino's Hitler remarks were "inflammatory" as he "is still trying to create animosity with China."
Read: Chinese commentary calls PNoy 'ignorant, amateurish politician'
Coloma earlier denied that it was the President's intention to offend China. In the briefing on Thursday, the Palace official added that Aquino has the right to express his views.
He added that the position of Aquino and the Philippines on the territorial dispute issue is anchored on respect for the rule of law.
The Philippines is claiming parts of the South China Sea while Beijing asserts that it owns the entire disputed waters through a nine-dash line that it has drawn.
Manila has filed a case before the United Nation's Arbitral Tribunal regarding the matter.