MANILA, Philippines — Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday dismissed China’s 1990 document regarding Scarborough Reef in the West Philippine Sea as invalid, calling it an internal political maneuver rather than a legally binding policy.
Scarborough Reef, located about 230 kilometers west of the Philippine island of Zambales, is part of the broader West Philippine Sea.
Teodoro said Beijing’s engagement appears aimed at bolstering the legitimacy of its ruling regime and serving the personal interests of its leaders, noting that it primarily addresses domestic audiences rather than other nations.
READ: DFA dismisses China’s Scarborough evidence
“It’s an extension of internal political effort,” Teodoro added.
The remarks came after the Chinese embassy in Manila earlier highlighted a 1990 letter from Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido Tan Jr. to German HAM radio operator Dieter Loffler, which cited the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority as saying Scarborough Reef did not fall within Philippine territory.
“According to the Philippine National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the Scarborough Reef or Huangyan Dao does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines. It is 10 miles off the line drawn under the Treaty of Paris; however, the area is within the 200-mile Philippine economic zone,” the document shared by Beijing read.
“That letter is not binding at all. That is China’s problem. They keep spreading lies,” Teodoro said.
READ: PH only Asean nation calling out China’s South China Sea actions – PCG
He noted that Chinese officials have been making veiled criticisms against Philippine government officials, a reflection of how freedom of speech is protected in Manila but not in China.
“I think if their goal was to attract Filipinos, the opposite is happening, because they are talking only to their own people to show that they are strong,” the defense chief said.
Teodoro said experts have pointed out that China’s Indo-Pacific engagement strategy is closely tied to the legitimacy of its ruling regime and serves the personal interests of its leaders.
“That’s why it has no legal basis. That’s why all kinds of fabrication are happening. This is part of their internal political effort, an extension of internal political effort,” he said.
PH officials weigh in
Earlier, other Philippine officials also addressed the 1990 letter.
Department of Foreign Affairs spokesperson for Maritime Affairs Rogelio Villanueva Jr. said there was no merit in debating documents produced by third parties on social media and reiterated that the Philippines’ claims extend not only to Scarborough Reef but also to the Kalayaan Island Group.
He stressed that the Philippines has actively exercised its sovereignty over Scarborough Reef and the surrounding areas through measures such as conducting detailed hydrographic surveys, issuing official government communications, and removing unauthorized structures.
He underscored that sovereignty is demonstrated through action, and that the Philippines has consistently maintained and enforced its authority over these territories without interruption.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela, who is one of Beijing’s fiercest critics on maritime-related issues, said the 1990 letter is misleading at best and a deliberate distortion at worst.
He emphasized that the correspondence was not an official waiver of Philippine sovereignty, noting it merely referenced colonial boundaries while confirming the shoal is within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Trinidad cited international law and Supreme Court precedent, explaining that only statements from the head of state or foreign minister can bind the nation.
He also referenced the 2016 arbitral tribunal ruling, which confirmed Scarborough Reef is within the Philippines’ EEZ and that China has no historic rights overriding Unclos entitlements.
He added that China’s use of the letter now is a selective narrative to justify encroachment, and stressed that China has never exercised sovereignty over Bajo de Masinloc, which remains Philippine territory. /mr
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