Chairman Emeritus Dr. Jose Antonio Goitia along with his three groups of Filipino patriots declared strong support for Department of National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro’s dismissal of questions posed by two high-ranking Chinese military officials that could be considered a form of bullying during the annual security forum held at the Shangri-La hotel in Singapore.

The declaration of support was made under the leadership of Chairman Emeritus Goitia along with his thousands of members representing the groups of Alyansa ng Bantay Kapayapaan at Demokrasya (ABKD), Filipinos Do Not Yield (FDNY)-Movement and Peoples Alliance for Democracy and Reform (PADER) who have long expressed their opposition to China’s aggressive attacks on the Philippines which can be considered a violation of the agreement as signed in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on December 10, 1982.

According to Chairman Emeritus Goitia, the questions posed by the two Chinese officials are a ploy for Secretary Teodoro to give a violent response to the problem of the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Chairman Emeritus Goitia said he admired Secretary Teodoro’s honesty in responding to the questions of the two Chinese military officials, whose answers were applauded by those attending the forum.

“Secretary Teodoro’s response can be considered an indirect insult coming from an official with integrity like him,” Goitia said.

Chairman Emeritus Goitia added that their group supports Secretary Teodoro’s statement that although the Philippines is part of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), it is a sovereign country with its own territorial integrity and sovereignty that respects the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Chairman Emeritus Goitia stressed that China’s violation and bullying of our rights has become too much because of the many reported aggressive actions being taken by the Chinese Coast Guard against Philippine ships such as water cannon blasting and laser targeting and even against Filipino fishermen who earn their living in Philippine waters.

To show their frustration with the actions of the Chinese government, PADER will lead the promotion of various types of mass actions in Mendiola and even in front of the Chinese Embassy in Makati City while the two groups of ABKD and FDNY-Movement will rally in front of the Department of National Defense (DND) office.

It can be recalled that Defense Secretary Teodoro attended an annual forum conducted by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) organized by IISS Singapore on June 1, 2025. This is an annual forum, a gathering of ministers of defense, senior military leaders, and security experts from the Asia-Pacific region to discuss challenges each country is facing and to build cooperation in resolving conflicts. (MARISA SON)