Defense chief Teodoro dismisses China’s alleged 1990 letter on Scarborough Shoal

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday rejected a supposed 1990 letter from a Filipino diplomat that was cited by China in connection with its claims over Scarborough Shoal, accusing Beijing of spreading lies.

“That letter is not binding at all. ‘Yan ang problema sa China, lahat ng pagsisinungaling, ginagawa nila,” Teodoro said in an ambush interview.

(That letter is not binding at all. That is the problem with China, they resort to all kinds of lies.)

“Ngayon, yung mga pagbanat nila sa mga government officials, gawa ng meron tayong freedom of speech na hindi ginagalang sa kanilang bansa,” he added.

(Now, their attacks on government officials are because we have freedom of speech that is not respected in their country.)

For Teodoro, China’s moves may be intended for Chinese audiences rather than the Philippines.

“May mga dalubasa na nagsasabi ang problema sa China, ang Indo-Pacific engagement strategy nila is directly tied to the legitimacy of the ruling regime and serves the personal interests of their leaders,” Teodoro said.

(Some experts say that the problem with China is that their Indo-Pacific engagement strategy is directly tied to the legitimacy of the ruling regime and serves the personal interests of their leaders.)

“Kaya hindi ito makabatas. Kaya lahat ng klase ng pag-iimbento, ginagawa na nila kasi ito ay extension of internal political effort,” he added.

(That’s why its actions are not legal. That’s why they’re doing all kinds of false narratives because it’s an extension of internal political effort.)

The Chinese Embassy in Manila earlier published what it claimed was a letter from a Filipino diplomat in the 1990s allegedly stating that Scarborough Shoal was not covered by Philippine sovereignty rights.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) rejected the said document.

"I would totally reject that. Sino naman yung diplomat na 'yan to say that? Issues such as this, umaakyat hanggang sa Pangulo 'yan. So a diplomat cannot just make a statement like that," Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro said Monday.

(Who is the diplomat who would say something like that? Issues such as this go up to the President.)

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela also dismissed China's claim about the letter.

Tarriela said the document being circulated by the People's Republic of China was not an official waiver of sovereignty.

“The PRC’s attempt to present this 1990 letter as proof of Philippine concession over Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) is misleading at best and a deliberate distortion at worst,” Tarriela said.

The officials were referring to a letter allegedly written in 1990 by former Philippine ambassador Bienvenido A. Tan Jr. to a German radio hobbyist.

Scarborough Shoal, also called Bajo de Masiloc or Panatag Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis.

Beijing has refused to recognize the decision. —RF, GMA Integrated News