Philippines Leader Gets China's 'Bullying' Note On Stage. What He Did Next

Seoul: In what's being seen as a masterclass in standing up to intimidation, the Philippines Defence Secretary publicly bashed China after he was handed a note outlining Beijing's position on the South China Sea while speaking during the Seoul Defence Dialogue in South Korea.Gilberto C Teodoro was in the middle of his speech when a man in a white coat -- likely an event volunteer -- walked up to him and placed a sheet of paper on the table in front of him."I have a note here, I think this is from China," Teodoro said, stopping in the middle of his remarks. He asked the crowd if he should read it before proceeding to narrate the content of the note -- a reminder of Beijing's official position on the South China Sea."China's position on the South China Sea arbitration is clear, consistent and firm. They have no position. The arbitration violates fundamental principles of international law. The so-called award (in favour of the Philippines) was illegal, null and void and has no binding force. China neither accepts nor recognises the award and opposes it and will never accept any claim arising from it," he read from the paper. The note likely referred to the Philippines' 2016 legal case against China, filed under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). The ruling in the case was overwhelmingly in favour of the Philippines, determining that major elements of China's claim --including its nine-dash line, recent land reclamation activities, and other activities in Philippine waters -- were unlawful.Beijing has long contested the ruling while accusing the Philippines of infringing on China's sovereignty in the disputed waters, leading to several standoffs between the two countries' navies.After reading the part of the note, the Philippines turned to the crowd and asked, "How can you deal with a country in an international forum -- beyond the question asked to me -- disrespecting the organisers of this forum, how do you expect to deal with it civilly?" "I ask you the question, is this the right paper to post to me when I'm being asked a question on the floor? And how will you treat this kind of behavior?" he continued. The Philippines leader noted that the act not only disrespects international law, "throwing UNCLOS to the floor and trampling upon it, but it also disrespects the basic decency that should be accorded to our most gracious host, the Republic of Korea, and the rest of the audience here. So, perhaps basic decency and behaviour is what China needs to do."Labelling the passing of the note as "actual coercion, bullying, and aggression", he said, "perhaps basic decency and behaviour is what China needs to do." Directing a remark towards the individual who delivered the paper, he added, "I will keep this paper as a memento of how desperate China is and how ineffective its position is in the face of a free audience. Thank you very much for being the person who gave me this piece of paper. You have just done your country a great service."Teodoro leveraged the episode to spotlight Manila's wider territorial contentions with Beijing in the contested waterway."I think it is well known to the public, to everyone here, about the Philippine situation where we face challenges daily from the People's Republic of China, which tries to occupy and illegally assert its presence over our territory and especially our exclusive economic zone," he stated.He noted that Manila has been compelled to forge stronger security partnerships and alliances to counter these pressures."We live in a very interconnected world, and there is no right for any state of that matter to appropriate an international common for its exclusive use or right, contrary to what the international norms clearly state," Teodoro added.The Philippines Department of National Defense later shared the video of the interaction on its official X account, with the caption, "Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C Teodoro, Jr responded to a note from the Chinese side during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea."MAHIYA NAMAN KAYO | Secretary of National Defense Gilberto C. Teodoro, Jr. responded to a note from the Chinese side during the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2026 in Seoul, Republic of Korea.#DNDPHL #DiKaPasisiil #SDD2026 pic.twitter.com/fsCRVphkgf— Department of National Defense - Philippines (@dndphl) September 8, 2026The South China Sea continues to serve as a primary geopolitical flashpoint between Manila and Beijing, with both governments frequently accusing each other of violating sovereign rights across disputed maritime expanses. While Manila anchors its legal strategy on the 2016 arbitration outcome, Beijing continues to invalidate the ruling.