DAVAO CITY, Philippines – A Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson has publicly questioned whether Davao 1st District Rep. Paolo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte are “pro-China,” escalating a political firestorm over defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro’s call for officials sympathetic to China to resign amid rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
Teodoro on Aug. 7 said elected officials who do not support the government’s position defending the West Philippine Sea against China’s intrusion should resign, arguing they have a constitutional duty to defend Philippine territory based on the 2016 United Nations arbitral ruling. He did not name specific officials.
That statement sparked immediate backlash from the Duterte faction.
On Aug. 2, Rep. Duterte criticized Teodoro for “demonizing China” and said the defense secretary’s job is to strengthen national defense, not conduct “loyalty exams” on elected officials.
Vice President Sara Duterte, in an Aug. 6 interview in Davao City, challenged Teodoro to name any officials he considers “pro-China.”
Duterte also criticized Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro for his comments on China.
Duterte also criticized Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro for his comments on China.
Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard for the WPS, responded directly to the vice president on Aug. 5, listing seven traits he considers indicative of betrayal—including silence when China harasses Philippine forces, declaring the 2016 arbitral award “just a piece of paper,” and openly praising Chinese President Xi Jinping. He ended his statement by asking the vice president: “Do you know anyone doing this?”
Tarriela later confronted Duterte, asking why the congressman issued no statements despite all of China’s “bullying” of the Philippine navy and fisherfolk. “It seems you are siding with them — you have the same line. Are you pro-China, sir?” Tarriela wrote.
Rep. Duterte countered that diplomacy requires private statecraft, not media sound bites.
Tarriela retorted that diplomatic engagement through embassies and bilateral mechanisms is ongoing, and reminded the congressman that attending congressional sessions and crafting laws is his job. “Politics has nothing to do with the West Philippine Sea,” Tarriela said.
The confrontation highlights longstanding ties between the Duterte family and Beijing.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte promoted Chinese loans for infrastructure projects during his Build, Build, Build program, including the Coastal Road and Samal Island-Davao Bridge.
Davao City maintains sister-city agreements with five Chinese cities: Nanning (signed 2007), Jinjiang (2018), Chongqing (2019), Tai’an (August 2023), and Dalian (approved by the city council in 2025, ceremony held Sept. 27, 2025).
Relations between the Dutertes and China have also drawn criticism. The administration faced controversy over the influx of offshore gaming operators following allegations of human trafficking linked to former mayor Alice Guo.
Several Chinese citizens were also arrested for falsifying citizenship documents through a municipality in Davao del Sur province. (davaotoday.com)
