By Robert B. Roque, Jr.
The Chinese propaganda machine was exposed before the world last weekend through a side comment full of wit from Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. It just had to be applauded at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
They thought that by sending People’s Liberation Army (PLA) colonels to ask a rhetorical trap cloaked in pseudo-diplomacy, their disinformation peddling would hog international headlines. Instead, Teodoro — sharp as a blade and calm as steel — obliterated their premise and with clarity called out the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) for twisting the narrative.
This was what China hated the most: a display of intelligence that cannot be manipulated to fit the faulty and deceitful propaganda it wants the world to believe.
On their way out, a uniformed PLA officer criticized Teodoro for supposedly not answering their questions. But let’s get this straight: Teodoro didn’t “evade” questions. He eviscerated them, calling out propaganda as propaganda and exposing the gaslighting for what it is.
His remarks about China’s repression of truth even among its own people, territorial aggression, and utter “deficit in trust” as viewed by neighboring nations are what news out of the CCP never acknowledges.
So, Teodoro had to refresh everyone’s memory about China being that Big Asian Neighbor that fires water cannons at Philippine vessels, builds military installations on reefs, and rams boats while waving around a nine-dash line that was thrown out by international law.
Offstage and as he walked the sidelines, the CCP had deployed party-lining lapdogs dressed as reporters to toss baited questions, hoping Teodoro would take the fall. But they picked the wrong target. Gibo told the truth to their faces, saying he knew what they were. “Hello MSS agents,” he said.
They did the same thing to Philippine Chief of Staff Romeo Brawner, breaking protocol by following him and, the next day, reporting: “Philippine military chief dodges questions.” That’s enough proof that, indeed, they were Ministry of State Security (MSS) agents embedded in the conference.
Truth be told, if there was anyone evasive at the Shangri-La Dialogue, it wasn’t Brawner or Teodoro. It was China and its communist leadership — hiding behind colonels instead of sending a co-equal to the other defense chiefs present.
Some may even call it cowardice wrapped in arrogance. Why not send a minister like everyone else? Is Beijing too intimidated to face the defense chief of a small Pacific island country? Ultimately, the message was clear: The Philippines will not be silenced.
Teodoro was the voice of intelligence, courage, and principle heard around the world. As he said: “None have agreed with China, and none has condemned the Philippines for standing up against China in the face of a threat to its territorial integrity and sovereignty.”
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