DND: China Embassy has no right to demand answers

The Department of National Defense (DND) on Sunday rejected the Chinese Embassy’s latest statement, saying the Philippine defense agency is under no obligation to answer questions from any foreign government or embassy.

“It is the Chinese Embassy that is under scrutiny and being questioned here for its apparent coddling of illegal activities within the sovereign territory of the Philippines,” DND spokesperson Arsenio Andolong said.

Andolong issued the statement after the Chinese Embassy raised several questions about the May operation at Sanjia Steel Corporation, where Philippine authorities, with the involvement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, arrested Chinese workers.

In a statement on Sunday, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Ji Lingpeng questioned Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.’s involvement in the May raid at the steel plant.

“Is Teodoro a national defense chief or a police chief? Why did he have a hand in the law enforcement operation? What is he up to? Is that part of his portfolio?” Ji said.

In a subsequent post, the Chinese Embassy said the DND’s earlier statement did not answer its questions.

“Spokesperson Arsenio Andolong’s statement does not contain any answers to our questions. It is filled with evasiveness and deception,” the embassy said.

The embassy also said Teodoro “cannot hide behind his disingenuous disinformation,” as Ji called on him to “ANSWER ALL OUR QUESTIONS.”

Andolong described the embassy’s response as “evasive, crass, and galling,” saying such behavior was unacceptable to Filipinos.

The DND spokesperson dismissed the Chinese Embassy’s statement as a “blatant example of interference” in Philippine internal affairs and an abuse of constitutional freedoms.

“Walang karapatan ang sinumang dayuhang pamahalaan, lalo na ang Tsina, na humingi ng kasagutan mula sa DND. Ito ay lantarang panghihimasok sa mga panloob na usapin ng ating bansa,” Andolong said.

(No foreign government, especially China, has the right to demand answers from the DND. This is a blatant interference in the internal affairs of our country.)

He added that the DND would continue enforcing Philippine laws and cracking down on violations regardless of whether the Chinese Embassy or any other party agreed with its actions.

"Hindi kami titigil sa pagpapatupad ng batas ng Republika at pagsugpo sa mga paglabag dito, sinumang tututol o sumang-ayon man, kabilang ang Embahada ng Tsina,” he said.

(We will not stop enforcing the laws of the Republic and suppressing violations of them, whether anyone agrees or disagrees, including the Chinese Embassy.)

“Di kami pasisiil (We will not be subjugated)!” Andolong added.— MCG, GMA News