Seoul: Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.'s response to a Chinese attempt challenging the 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Ruling should set the standard for Filipino officials on how to defend Philippine sovereignty and national interests.

According to Philippines News Agency, Teodoro was speaking at the Seoul Defense Dialogue on Tuesday when a military attach© from the Chinese Embassy in Seoul sent him a note through a forum staff member. The note reiterated Beijing's rejection of the 2016 Arbitral Ruling, labeling it as illegal, null, and void, with no binding force. In response, Teodoro read portions of the note aloud and openly challenged its assertions, including China's rejection of the ruling.

Victor Andres Manhit, president of the think tank Stratbase Institute, stated on Friday that "Secretary Teodoro demonstrated the steadfast resolve required to counter coercion, intimidation, and attempts to erode established international norms." The 2016 ruling, issued by an arbitral tribunal under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, rejected the legal basis of China's sweeping claims to historic rights within the so-called nine-dash line and affirmed the Philippines' maritime entitlements.

Manhit further noted that the DND chief showed that defending Philippine sovereignty is not merely about issuing statements but requires public officials to stand their ground when the country's rights and the rules-based order are challenged. He emphasized that the incident should reinforce the need for a unified position across government in protecting the Philippines' maritime claims and must be the "baseline expectation for all public officials charged with safeguarding the republic."