DEFENSE Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. blasted Vice President Sara Duterte for saying the Philippines is “becoming the troublemaker of Southeast Asia,” and made clear that the source of all troubles in the region is China.
“Can you say that our soldiers who sacrifice there [in the West Philippine Sea] are troublemakers, when we are only fighting for our rights over the sea that is the future of our country’s sustainability?” Teodoro said in Filipino.
Duterte had made the comment after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. called alleged remittances from a Chinese state-owned firm into a company linked to the vice president’s husband a potential national security issue.
“Is doing business with China really prohibited because it’s a national security risk?” Duterte had said in Filipino. ”We are becoming the troublemaker of Southeast Asia.” Teodoro made it clear that engaging with the Chinese in business is not prohibited. What’s in question rather is how a public official is allowed to enter into such transactions.
“Filipinos are not prohibited from doing business with China, but the question is, is a public official, first and foremost, allowed to have any business transactions on a certain level? Some are not, some are. That is a question which has to be determined by the proper investigative authorities,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro cited as an example China-owned or linked businesses in the Philippines that were proven to be illegal or flawed such as the alleged substandard steel, illegal mining and the offshore gaming operations which he said “did not benefit the overall integrity of the Philippines.” “If you are a public official, you have a voice in the stability of our national territory and integrity; if you have transactions with China, these should be studied to determine if they are, above all, legitimate and proper,” the Defense chief said.
Teodoro emphasized that it is China who is the troublemaker and not the Philippines, citing as proof the intention of the Association of Southeast Asia Nations (Asean) member countries to finalize a long-awaited South China Sea Code of Conduct with China.
“China is clearly the troublemaker here, crystal clear, and I will not accept any other narrative on that. It’s obvious; nobody can say that the Philippines is the one causing trouble,” Teodoro said.
Chinese talking point
Vice President Duterte’s use of the word “troublemaker” mirrors Chinese talking points against the Philippines.
China has repeatedly used the label “troublemaker” against the Philippines over the years to describe Manila’s actions in the West Philippine Sea.
In July 2026, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian labeled the Philippines a “troublemaker” in the South China Sea after Manila embedded journalists on resupply missions and patrols, accusing the Philippines of provoking maritime confrontations to “stir up tensions.” In July 2015, following the Philippines’ legal challenge against China’s expansive maritime claims at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued an official statement explicitly referring to the Philippines as the “real troublemaker in the region.”* China accused Manila of deliberately escalating tensions and violating bilateral agreements.
During early disputes following the Scarborough Shoal standoff in July 2013, Maj. Gen. Luo Yuan of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army publicly stated: “The role of the Philippines in the South China Sea is actually, in my view, a troublemaker.” Beijing routinely uses this narrative whenever the Philippines asserts its sovereign rights or brings international visibility to maritime disputes, portraying Manila’s defense measures and joint security partnerships as disruptive to regional peace.
