Philippine defense chief says Duterte’s China visit not 'cause of concern'

MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said former President Rodrigo Duterte’s recent visit to China did not ring any alarm bells. 

In an interview with ABS-CBN News Channel on Monday, Teodoro said that Duterte's trip was "nothing new.”

The former president visited China last week on the eve of the International Criminal Court’s decision to deny the Philippine government’s appeal to stop the probes into his violent campaign against illegal drugs. 

“Former president Duterte’s visit to China is not unexpected neither is it a cause [for] concern,” he said. 

Duterte courted controversy throughout his term for launching a violent campaign against illegal drugs and his pro-China posturing, among others.

The visit to China also came days after the Philippines celebrated the seventh anniversary of its arbitration victory over its territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. 

“The former president is a former president. He should be treated with the respect and dignity due any foreign president,” Teodoro added. 

China has ramped up aggression across the disputed waters, amid repeated diplomatic protests lodged by the Philippines. Earlier this year, the Philippines and the United States held their largest-ever annual war games, including sinking a mock enemy warship in the process.

Teodoro was appointed at the helm of the Department of Defense, almost a year after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. scored a landslide victory at the polls. The president left some key Cabinet positions vacant, such as the Department of Health, throughout his first year in power.

Teodoro reiterated the country’s engagements with China are multipolar, saying that “it is not only an area of conflict but also an area of convergence.”

“But from where we stand at the DOD, our role is to build up our capability upgrades to protect the territorial integrity of our republic,” Teodoro said. — Ramon Royandoyan