DND apologizes after Taiwanese logo used in China’s turnover of guns to PHL

The Philippines apologized to China on Monday for a "grievous but purely unintentional" mistake after it displayed the logo of the defense ministry of Taiwan, not China, at an event last week marking Beijing's donation of 3,000 rifles to Manila.

In a statement, DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong hoped that the relationship between the Philippines and China would not be affected by the recent gaffe.

"We have issued an official apology to the government and the people of the People's Republic of China through His Excellency Zhao Jianhua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the Philippines," Andolong said.

"It is our sincere hope that this very unfortunate incident will not affect the cooperative and friendly relations between our two countries which has grown warmer over the past years," he added.

Andolong said the military was  "fully cognizant and grateful for the support that the government of the People's Republic of China has been providing" to the country.

"We reiterate that the DND and the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) strictly adhere to the 'One China Policy' as espoused by the Philippine government," Andolong said.

During the handover ceremony of rifles and ammunition on October 5, the DND committed the mistake of using a Taiwanese logo on a banner to represent the Ministry of Defense of the People's Republic of China.

A total of 3,000 M4 rifles, three million rounds of ammunition and 90 sniper scopes from China were turned over to the government forces on the said date.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the rifles and the ammunition would be given to the Philippine National Police while the sniper scopes will be handed to the soldiers. —reports from Reuters and Anna Felica Bajo/NB, GMA News