Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Tuesday said Beijing has no one to blame but itself for any injuries suffered by its sailors after a collision between two Chinese vessels near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.
The statement came amid unconfirmed reports that several Chinese personnel were thrown overboard after a Chinese Navy destroyer and a China Coast Guard (CCG) ship collided while chasing a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) patrol boat, the BRP Suluan, on Monday.
Following the incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian blamed the Philippines, saying the country “seriously harmed peace and stability at sea.”
However, during the sidelines of the exchange of diplomatic notes between Japan and the Philippines for their Reciprocal Access Agreement (RAA), Teodoro said, “If someone got hit, it’s their fault.”
“I’m already tired of contradicting, you know, and I don’t want to answer a blatant lie and, you know, glorify it. And everybody knows the truth, really,” he added.
“Why will we pick a fight?” “Who in their right mind will initiate a conflict when you are a smaller country?” the Philippine defense chief pointed out.
