The Department of National Defense (DND) has requested the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to investigate the spread of a “fabricated” letter, supposedly penned by Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., regarding the alleged advancement of the United States’ agenda in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

In the letter, addressed to a “Peter Enzminger,” Teodoro purportedly assures the fulfillment of the US agenda for the WPS, and for other political issues, reported RH 52 Edniel Parrosa.

This includes the public disclosure of China’s “violent law enforcement and bullying tactics” at the Ayungin Shoal in July this year.

“The matter has been referred to the National Bureau of Investigation for proper investigation,” said DND Spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong.

“This is yet another episode of foreign interference and malign influence that is intended to discredit the legitimate and lawful efforts of the Philippine government to assert its national sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he added.

The incident cited in the reportedly fabricated letter is the July 20, 2026 incident in which a China Coast Guard personnel struck a Philippine Navy serviceman on the head with a wooden baton.

In a statement then, the DND noted that the incident was only one in a “clear pattern of provocative and hostile behavior,” resulting in China’s “deficit of trust and credibility.”

“Against the backdrop of the PRC's (People’s Republic of China) circumvention of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and disregard of the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Tribunal Ruling on the South China Sea, their actions further justify the Department's position of disengagement,” the department said.