Teodoro unfazed by possible China entry ban

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said he will not mind if he will be barred from entering China and its territories, similar to what happened to former senator Francis Tolentino.

“Wala naman akong pakialam [kung] gawin nila sa akin ‘yun (I won’t mind if they do that to me),” Teodoro told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

READ: China bars ex-senator Tolentino from entering its territories over WPS stance

Teodoro also said it is the prerogative of any country, without explanation, to allow or deny anybody from entering its territory.

“Nasa sa kanila naman ‘yun, ‘di ba (It is up to them, right)?” he said.

China barred Tolentino from entering its territories for his “egregious conduct on China-related issues.

Tolentino, who served as chairperson of a special committee on maritime and admiralty zones, authored two bills that further highlighted the Philippines’ rights to its maritime zones.

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed into law the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act on Nov. 8, 2024, marking a pivotal moment in fortifying maritime sovereignty and securing national interests, especially in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

The Maritime Zones Act identifies the Philippine internal waters and defines the archipelagic waters, full entitlement of a 12 nautical miles territorial sea, declaration of a 24 nautical miles contiguous zone from the baselines, and the 200 nautical miles exclusive economic zone and continental shelf where the Philippines can exercise sovereign rights and jurisdiction.

On the other hand, the Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act establishes two east-west routes and one north-south route, namely the Sea Lane I (Philippine Sea-Balintang Channel-WPS), Sea Lane II (Celebes Sea-Sibutu Passage-Sulu Sea-Cuyo East Pass-Mindoro Strait-WPS), and Sea Lane III (Celebes Sea-Basilan Strait-Sulu Sea-Nasubata Channel-Balabac Strait-WPS). /jpv