President Marcos has described Beijing's sanctions against Department of National Defense (DND) Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. as "very unhelpful," saying the move only raises tensions and does little to advance discussions aimed at managing disputes in the West Philippine Sea.

Speaking to members of the Philippine media at the conclusion of his official visit to Canada, Marcos said China's declaration effectively making Teodoro persona non grata was unlikely to contribute to resolving territorial issues between Manila and Beijing.

"Well, the declaration of Beijing of Secretary Teodoro as persona non grata, I guess, in China, it's just not. It's very unhelpful, in my view," the President said on Sunday, July 5 (Manila time).

"Because it really achieves very little," he added.

Marcos said the move appeared to be a response to some of the pronouncements made by Teodoro in international forums regarding developments in the West Philippine Sea.

"But it does not move the discussion between the Philippines and China regarding the territorial conflicts that we have. It does not move that process forward in any way," he said.

"It does not make it easier. It does not lessen the risk of a mistake or some kind of skirmish that could grow into something more," he added.

The President said the Philippines remains committed to maintaining open lines of communication with China despite continuing tensions in the disputed waters.

"That's why we continue to have open lines of communication with Beijing," he said.

"And we continue to look for as many lines of communications as we can have, both in foreign government-to-government, on the commercial level, and on the purely personal level. Everything that we can is being explored," he added.

Marcos said cutting another channel of communication, particularly between the two countries' defense establishments, would only complicate efforts to prevent misunderstandings or incidents from escalating.

"And cutting off another line of communication, which is through our defense ministries, I do not see how it will help that process that we're trying to achieve to manage the tensions in the West Philippine Sea, to lessen the likelihood of something happening that will be a trigger for something worse," he said.

"So again, as I said, it's China's prerogative, but I really feel that it was unhelpful," he added.

China announced sanctions against Teodoro on June 11, accusing him of making “irresponsible remarks” regarding Beijing. The sanctions, which also extend to his immediate family, bar them from entering mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, and prohibit Chinese organizations and individuals from engaging in any transactions or cooperation with them

Teodoro has emerged as one of the administration's most vocal officials on the West Philippine Sea issue, repeatedly criticizing Beijing's actions in Philippine waters and advocating stronger defense partnerships with like-minded countries.

The Defense chief has previously described China's expansive claims in the South China Sea as inconsistent with international law and has repeatedly cited the 2016 Arbitral Award that invalidated Beijing's so-called nine-dash line claim.

Asked about the state of Philippine relations with the United States, Marcos said bilateral ties have only continued to grow stronger since he assumed office in 2022.

"Those really have not changed status since I came into office. We just keep growing stronger together," the President said.

"We keep supporting each other, and we have been strong partners for over a hundred years," he added.

Marcos noted that engagements between Manila and Washington have become deeper and more expansive in recent years, particularly in emerging industries driven by new technologies.

"And in that time, our engagements with the United States have become deeper, have become more expansive, and now with the new sectors that are being created by the new technologies, we have new areas even to explore," he said.

"So patuloy lang (So we simply continue)," he added.

"It is strong, and it is as active as it has ever been, if not more so than before."

The Philippines and the United States have significantly expanded defense cooperation under the Marcos administration, including the implementation of additional sites under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), larger joint military exercises under Balikatan, and increased maritime cooperation in the West Philippine Sea.

The United States has likewise repeatedly affirmed that the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty covers armed attacks against Philippine armed forces, public vessels, and aircraft, including those operating in the South China Sea.

The remarks came a day after Marcos and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced the elevation of Philippines-Canada relations to a Strategic Partnership, with both leaders reaffirming support for a rules-based international order and the peaceful resolution of disputes in accordance with international law and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.