For several years now, he has been disparaging all official actions of China in its relationship with the Philippines. And I mean all—even the patently good ones, those that directly benefit the Filipino people like the donated bridges, the rescue-at-sea operations that save the lives of Filipino fishermen, relief assistance during earthquakes, floods, typhoons and natural disasters, energy assistance such as sourcing of petroleum products, etc.
For Gibo and Jay Tarriela, even humanitarian gestures of support from China are tied to insidious bad faith, economic traps, and the like.
The straw that broke the carabao’s back was Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro’s speech at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
China has a hundred workers and financial interests in the Philippine Sanjia Steel Corp., a 22.7-hectare steel manufacturing facility inside the PHIVIDEC Industrial Estate in Tagoloan, Misamis Oriental. Since the industrial estate is under his defense department, Gibo Teodoro alleged that the P800-million plant was involved in hazardous industrial operations, the production of substandard steel products, and possible links to illegal POGOs.
On the strength of these allegations, the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the NBI and the AFP, raided the factory, closed it down, arrested some 70 Chinese workers with legal work permits and work visas, and erased the jobs of hundreds of Mindanaoans and Visayans.
Sanjia Steel cried “harassment” by law enforcers themselves and since the charges were unverified, the government had to release the Chinese workers. Yet Gibo Teodoro used the Singapore forum to amplify the Sanjia Steel issue and smear the good name of China before the global community.
It is then understandable that the Chinese government banned Teodoro, his wife and child, from entering China, Hong Kong and Macau. Chinese entities are also banned from doing business with these individuals.
Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute (ACPSSI) President Herman Tiu Laurel noted that Teodoro’s criticisms of China could jeopardize the Philippines' tourism and trade gains after Beijing imposed sanctions on him and his immediate family.
Tiu Laurel said the sanctions should prompt a reassessment of policies and statements that could further strain Manila-Beijing relations as the government works to expand economic ties with China.
"The anti-China diatribes of Secretary Gibo Teodoro endanger the government's economic recovery program, particularly initiatives aimed at strengthening tourism and trade relations with China," Laurel said.
He cited efforts by the Department of Tourism that helped drive a 63-percent increase in Chinese tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2026, as well as trade promotion initiatives led by the Department of Trade and Industry and Philippine Ambassador to China Jaime FlorCruz.
It should be noted that China had previously imposed similar sanctions on Filipino officials, including the late former foreign affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, former Supreme Court Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, former senator Francis Tolentino, and the mayor, vice mayor and councilors of Kalayaan town in Palawan.
It is just right that Gibo Teodoro learns his lesson.
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