Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto C. Teodoro Jr. sharply criticized China after receiving a note defending Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, South Korea, on Tuesday, September 8.
Teodoro was discussing maritime challenges and the importance of compliance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) when a forum staff member handed him a note from the audience. The message reiterated China’s position that the arbitration ruling was “illegal, null, and void” and had no binding force. Teodoro read the note aloud before directly challenging its claims.
“So what you're saying is UNCLOS violates international law? That's what you mean,” Teodoro said after reading the portion questioning the arbitration ruling’s consistency with international law.
He also reacted to China’s refusal to recognize the award, saying, “Of course, because you lost.”
The 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s expansive claims in the South China Sea and upheld the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under UNCLOS. China has consistently rejected the decision.
Teodoro then criticized the manner in which the note was delivered, calling it disrespectful not only to the Philippines but also to South Korea, which hosted the defense forum.
“Perhaps basic decency and behavior is what China needs to do,” Teodoro said, before delivering his message in Filipino: “Magpakadisente naman kayo nang konti, mahiya naman kayo nang konti.”
He further accused Beijing of going beyond so-called gray-zone tactics, declaring, "This is not gray zone anymore. This is actual coercion, bullying, and aggression.”
His remarks drew applause from the audience.
According to Yonhap, the note was handed to a forum staff member by a Chinese military attaché from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul, who requested that it be passed to Teodoro. The staff member reportedly mistook it for a message from Teodoro’s own delegation and delivered it to him while he was speaking.
Teodoro also held up the note and said he would keep it as a “memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience.”
He ended by thanking the person who delivered the message, saying, “You’ve just done your country a great service. Thank you,” before adding, “I hope you don’t suffer in a gulag for it.”
The exchange came as Teodoro emphasized the need for stronger regional security cooperation and adherence to international law. During his Seoul visit, he also met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, with both sides agreeing to strengthen defense-industry cooperation, personnel exchanges, and joint exercises.
The Seoul Defense Dialogue 2026, held from September 7 to 9, brings together defense and security officials from various countries to discuss regional and international security challenges.
