Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. has dismissed a reported claim by the Chinese Embassy that a 1990 document excludes Scarborough Shoal from the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), calling it part of a broader pattern of lies.

“That letter is not binding at all. Iyan ang problema sa China, lahat ng pagsisinungaling ginagawa nila (That is the problem with China, they resort to all kinds of lies),” Teodoro said on Tuesday, March 17.

The shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc or Pnatag Shoal, lies 124 nautical miles off Masinloc in Zambales, well within the country’s 200 nautical EEZ under international law.

Tensions persist in that part of the West Philippine Sea due to the continued presence of Chinese vessels despite a 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidated Beijing’s sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

China has rejected that ruling and maintains a flotilla of vessels that include their coast guard, navy, and maritime militia.

Last week, the Chinese Embassy released a document dated Feb. 2, 1990 written by then Philippine Ambassador to Germany Bienvenido Tan Jr. which stated that based on Philippine mapping authorities at the time, Scarborough Shoal, also called Huangyan Dao by China, “does not fall within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines.”

Chinese Embassy Deputy Spokesperson Guo Wei reiterated China’s position on the long-running maritime dispute in the area and criticized Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Rear Adm. Jay Tarriela’s so-called “transparency initiative,” a campaign that involves publicizing incidents at sea involving Chinese and Philippine vessels.

But Teodoro linked the Chinese Embassy’s criticism of Philippine officials defending Manila’s position in the WPS to differences in the political systems of the two countries.

“Ngayon, ang mga pagbanat nila sa government officials ay gawa ng meron tayong freedom of speech na hindi iginagalang sa kanilang bansa (Now, their attacks on government officials stem from the fact that we have freedom of speech, which is not respected in their country),” he said.

The defense chief said such statements may be intended for a domestic audience in China but are not resonating with Filipinos.

“Ang pakay nito ay umakit ng Pilipino, baliktad ang nangyayari (The aim of this is to attract Filipinos, but the opposite is happening),” he added.

According to Teodoro, security analysts have long noted that China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific are tied to internal political dynamics.

“Actually, may mga dalubhasa na nagsasabi na ang problema sa Tsina, ang Indo-Pacific engagement strategy nila is directly tied to the legitimacy of the ruling regime and serves the personal interests of their leaders (Actually, there are experts who say that the problem with China is that its Indo-Pacific engagement strategy is directly tied to the legitimacy of the ruling regime and serves the personal interests of its leaders),” Teodoro said.

This makes Beijing’s claims difficult to sustain under international law, he noted.

“Kaya hindi ito makabatas. Kaya lahat ng klase ng pag-iimbento ginagawa na nila, kasi ito’y extension ng internal political effort nila (That’s why it cannot stand as law. That’s why they resort to all kinds of fabrications, because this is an extension of their internal political effort),” he added.