Palace questions Pulong Duterte's stance on China: 'Very alarming'

Malacañang on Monday questioned Davao City Representative Paolo Duterte's remarks on loyalty to the Philippines, calling them "very alarming" and saying they suggested his allegiance to the country was not "solid".

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro made the remarks after Duterte criticized Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.'s call for public officials who refuse to uphold Philippine laws on the West Philippine Sea to either challenge them in court or resign.

“So kung kay Congressman Pulong Duterte ay pinag-uusapan ang loyalty ng Pilipinas—or rather ng mga Pilipino sa Pilipinas—lubhang kataka-taka. Very alarming para sa isang katulad niyang mambabatas, na lubhang nagpapakita na ang kanyang loyalty ay hindi solido sa Pilipinas,” Castro said during a press briefing.

(So if Congressman Pulong Duterte finds it questionable to discuss Filipinos' loyalty to the Philippines, that is deeply puzzling. It is very alarming for a lawmaker like him because it strongly suggests that his loyalty to the Philippines is not unwavering.)

In a Facebook post, Duterte earlier told Teodoro to stop "demonizing China" after the latter said public officials who refuse to uphold Philippine laws concerning the contested West Philippine Sea should either challenge those laws in court or resign.

The lawmaker also said Teodoro should stop administering "loyalty tests" to elected officials.

"Hey, Gibo, slow down. You didn't choose the elected officials; the Filipino people put them in office. If you have evidence that they are traitors to the country, then file the appropriate charges and present the evidence," Duterte said in Bisaya.

"Stop repeatedly demanding resignations as if you own the government," he added.

For its part, Malacañang said the issue is not about loyalty but about putting the country's interests first, echoing Teodoro's position.

“Ang pinag-uusapan natin dito ay mga Pilipino. Pilipino na dapat ang puso ay para sa Pilipinas lamang. Hindi pinag-uusapan dito ang loyalty. Lahat tayong mga Pilipino dapat ang puso, ang paninindigan, at ang ipaglalaban ay bansang Pilipinas lamang,” Castro said.

(What we are talking about here are Filipinos—Filipinos whose hearts should belong to the Philippines alone. This is not about loyalty. Every Filipino's heart, principles, and cause should be for the Philippines alone.)

“Wala tayong nakikitang mali sa tinuran ni Secretary Gibo Teodoro. Ito ay pagpapakita ng pagmamahal sa ating bansa,” she added.

(We see nothing wrong with what Secretary Gibo Teodoro said. It is a demonstration of love for our country.)

In 2016, an international arbitral tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, invalidating China's sweeping claims over much of the South China Sea and finding no legal basis for its assertion of historic rights within the so-called nine-dash line.

China has rejected the ruling and continues to refuse to recognize it. — MCG, GMA News