Pinned Tweet
What a snowflake of a an app and a country eh? Twitter will lock me out of my old account unless I delete the truth.
I am not deleting.
Marvin retweeted
Good grief, Jay Tarriela! Are you playing dumb, or do you really have a reading comprehension problem?
As for fuel and fish prices, why don't you ask who picked a fight with Iran and triggered the closure of the Strait of Hormuz? Who drove up global oil prices, increased Filipino fishermen's fuel and operating costs, and ultimately pushed fish prices higher?
In case you missed Economy 101, this phenomenon even has a name: imported inflation.
Marvin retweeted
Met with the Taliban? Are you thick, Nick? It’s no revelation. I was in Guantanamo with them for 3 years.
I’ve been to Afghanistan many times since, examining US and UK war crimes, including the murder of prisoners, which I witnessed in Bagram.
@AJEnglish travelled with me to make a film about it aje.io/7ryn4b as did @CliveSSmith many times.
As for the Al Qaida allegation, know that it was made by an administration involved in kidnap, torture, and false imprisonment - without charge or trial. It led to a UK judge led inquiry, a parliamentary investigation into torture of British and other nationals and an unprecedented criminal investigation of MI5/6 torture complicity.
@ShabanaMahmood will undoubtedly be aware. It’s just you late to the Islamophobic party.
Marvin retweeted
I understand the realities facing the Philippines, but the Marcos administration clearly needs to approach its relationship with China with greater clarity and rationality, and less political calculation and recklessness.
China’s foreign minister has already delivered a clear warning to the Marcos administration: if things continue along their current trajectory, it should not expect China to exercise restraint and tolerance indefinitely.
The question is: who will ultimately pay the price if bilateral relations deteriorate further? The United States can continue pursuing its strategic agenda from across the Pacific, but the Philippines will have to deal directly with the security and economic consequences of geopolitical confrontation.
It is time for the Marcos administration to seriously reconsider the costs and benefits. Defending national interests does not mean blindly catering to outside powers, much less exposing its own people to unnecessary risks.
Marvin retweeted
Who is the trouble maker in the South China Sea? Jay Tarriela and the anti-China forces.
Marvin retweeted
Key takeaways from the Wang Yi-Lazaro call:
✅ China’s position on sovereignty and reunification remains firm.
✅ The one-China policy must be delivered in deeds, not words.
✅ Provocations that cross China’s red lines will not be tolerated.
✅ Philippines reaffirms its one-China commitment and readiness for maritime dialogue.
✅ Consensus: Beat interference, contain frictions, expand common interests for regional stability.
Dialogue, not disruption, serves the people of both nations and Southeast Asia.
#ChinaPhilippines #Diplomacy #ASEAN
China's resolve to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and achieve national reunification remains unwavering, said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on November 3, 2026.
During a phone conversation with Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Ma. Theresa Lazaro, Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, urged the Philippine side to faithfully implement its one-China policy and exercise prudence in its words and actions on maritime issues.
Noting that China-Philippines relations are facing malicious interference at present, Wang said that a few Philippine politicians, out of political prejudice and self-interest, have repeatedly attacked and smeared China.
Such deeds crossed China's red lines, politicized normal economic, trade and people-to-people exchanges, and infringed upon the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese personnel and institutions in the Philippines, Wang said.
Such deeds are irrational and intolerable, and damaging to the Philippines' own international image, Wang said, adding that Manila should exercise greater restraint over the individuals concerned and ensure that its policy toward China reflects a rational and unified voice.
For her part, Lazaro said that the Philippines attaches great importance to its relations with China and hopes to develop a stable and predictable bilateral relationship.
Given the challenges that countries currently face in areas such as economy and energy, communication between the Philippines and China is conducive to managing differences, improving bilateral ties, and promoting regional peace and stability, Lazaro said.
The Philippines, she added, remains committed to the one-China policy, a position that will not change, and is also prepared to address maritime and other issues appropriately through dialogue and consultation.
As the ASEAN rotating chair, the Philippines appreciates and looks forward to China playing a greater role in advancing the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership to achieve further results, she said.
The two sides reached basic consensus on improving and developing China-Philippines relations. They agreed that healthy and stable bilateral relations serve the interests of both sides and meet regional expectations, and they agreed to maintain diplomatic dialogue to that end.
They agreed that the two countries should work together to eliminate all internal and external interference, and oppose any malicious provocation or behavior aimed at undermining their diplomatic engagement.
They also agreed that both sides should responsibly manage their differences, stabilize the situation and seek to expand their shared interests.
Wang and Lazaro also exchanged views on the leaders' meetings on East Asian cooperation to be held in the Philippines, as well as the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting to be held subsequently in Shenzhen, China.
#China #Philippines
#ForeignAffairsSecretary
#WangYi #MaTheresaLazaro
#ASEAN #SouthChinaSea
#GilbertoTeodoro #Gilberto #Teodoro
#ChinaMilitary #ChinaMilBugle
Marvin retweeted
How is China bullying you? Give me one specific instance.
Marvin retweeted
You are either a liar, or a total ignorant of China's recent history.
1. The Nationalist "Port Closure" Blockade: Beginning in June 1949, the Chinese Nationalists (KMT) used American-built warships and destroyer-escorts to block commercial ingress and egress at Shanghai and other PRC-held ports. While the US and UK initially protested these closures as illegal because they deemed them ineffective at times, the Nationalists severely disrupted coastal shipping.
2. Neutralization of the Taiwan Strait: After the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950, President Truman dispatched the US 7th Fleet into the Taiwan Strait to "neutralize" the area—stopping the Communists from reclaiming Taiwan. The U.S. lifted this specific patrol mission in the Taiwan Strait in 1953.
3. Rather than a strict military naval blockade by American warships, the U.S. orchestrated a comprehensive multilateral trade embargo (alongside Western allies like the UK and France) through the United Nations and export control regimes. This economic stranglehold effectively redirected mainland China's trade away from the West toward the Soviet bloc.
4. Chinese gold reserves were stolen by KMT and shipped to Taiwan between 1947 and 1949.
Under these circumstances, China was under immense duress to trade with the world.
You pretending it was just one country not trading with China is an insult to all the Chinese who went through these times.
Marvin retweeted
This was never really a story about pity.
It was about something much more instinctive:
the willingness to show up for a stranger simply because one of the most important days of his life should not feel empty.
He did not ask for money.
He only hoped that, on the day he married the woman he loved, there would be people there to share their happiness and bless their future.
And tens of thousands came.
They gave their time.
They traveled across the country.
They brought gifts.
They cooked.
They helped.
They filled the seats that would otherwise have been empty.
Not because they knew him.
Because they understood him.
There is something deeply human in that instinct:
When someone has spent much of his life without family, you do not want his happiest day to remind him of everything he lost.
So strangers became guests.
For one day, a young man who feared he would celebrate almost alone discovered that an entire country was willing to show up for him.
This is not mere sympathy.
It is kindness, quietly blossoming into family.
Marvin retweeted
A touching story that unfolded after the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake in Shifang什邡, a city in Sichuan Province about 40 kilometers from the epicenter, was among the hardest-hit areas.
When the nearby maternity hospital became unsafe, its director nervously asked the monks of Shifang’s Luohan Temple if pregnant women could stay. They simply said yes.
The women needed nourishment, so the monks allowed chickens to be killed. Unused to meat, the monks vomited from the smell. With no electricity, three meditation benches became a delivery bed and flashlights lit the surgeries. They broke the precepts against meat, killing, and blood. When asked, temple's Master Suquan replied: “Not saving lives is the greatest taboo; all other taboos are no longer taboos.”
By the time everyone left, exactly 108 babies had been born in the temple. In Buddhism, 108 is a sacred number—there are 108 beads on a prayer mala and traditionally 108 arhats, making the number of newborns a remarkable coincidence.
The picture below shows the group photo taken in 2010 when the 108 two-year-old Luohan babies returned to the temple where they were born. Over the years that followed, they have continued to reunite at the temple.
This year, those children turned 18. Many have entered university.
Marvin retweeted
As early as the 1980s, Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping put forward the initiative of "pursuing joint development while shelving disputes," which received a positive response from then Philippine President Corazon Aquino and Vice President Salvador Laurel.
In 2005, China, the Philippines and Vietnam signed the Tripartite Agreement for Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking in the Agreement Area in the South China Sea, agreeing to study and assess the oil resources in the agreement area.
In November 2017, the two sides signed the Joint Statement between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, stating that both sides may explore means to cooperate with each other in other possible maritime activities including maritime oil and gas exploration and exploitation.
In November 2018, the two sides signed the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development between the Government of the People's Republic of China and the Government of the Republic of the Philippines, which was confirmed and welcomed in the Joint Statement between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of the Philippines issued the same day.
In January 2023, during President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s visit to China, the two sides issued a joint statement agreeing to bear in mind the spirit of the Memorandum of Understanding on Cooperation on Oil and Gas Development signed in 2018, and to resume discussions on oil and gas development at an early date, building upon the outcomes of the previous talks. Since then, the foreign affairs departments of the two countries have continued consultations on joint oil and gas development through the Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) on the South China Sea Issue and made positive progress. In March 2026, the two sides held the 11th BCM meeting. The Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, "Both sides continued to make progress on initial exchanges on potential oil and gas cooperation." In August, President Marcos said in an interview with reporters, "We're working through and making progress. I can see a distinct possibility that there will be such joint exploration."
However, there has always been a force in the Philippines attempting to sabotage China-Philippines joint oil and gas development. Philippine Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, out of personal political self-interest, has publicly questioned and obstructed China-Philippines joint oil and gas development. In July 2026, Teodoro said, "joint exploration is normally just a way for China to gain access here. Temporary benefits cannot replace the long-term interests of the Philippines."Today Teodoro said in another interview, “there is no basis for a joint exploration talk with China”. Without the deliberate obstruction by people like Teodoro, China-Philippines joint oil and gas development might have already produced results, and the Filipino people may have already benefited from it.
Marvin retweeted
Winston, genuine question.
You spent over 10 years in China and joined Twitter while living there, right?
Did the Chinese government personally authorise your access to these blocked platforms, or is it possible that people in China know how to use VPNs like you did?
Just trying to understand your logic.
Marvin retweeted
GIBO, IS THIS THE BEST YOU CAN DO? FROM DEFENSE SECRETARY TO CHEERLEADER OF ONLINE TROLLING AND ONLINE TROLLS? GOODNESS! Hahaha… 😂
Ano ba yan, Gibo? Defense Secretary ka ng Pilipinas, pero ang level ng rebuttal mo, pang-troll at walang argument or substance? Kakaloka! 😂🤣 Ang babaw naman. You occupy one of the most consequential positions in the Philippine government. Behave accordingly and grow up.. you are so childish and strategically immature.
Folks, look at this. Our very own Defense Secretary, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro Jr., proudly shares a social media exchange attacking China and questioning the patriotism of Filipinos who refuse to subscribe to his preferred geopolitical narrative.
And his intellectual contribution? “CORRECT ANSWER‼️ BEST ANSWER—MADE IN THE PHILIPPINES.” WOW! BRAVO, GIBO! 👏😂
Is this what passes for strategic thinking at the Department of National Defense (DND) nowadays? Goodness, please naman, DND, tell your boss to raise the level of his discourse to a level worthy of his position as defense secretary, not like a troll… nakakahiya sa madling people and sa madling international community…
First, to Kcirtap Tan Sigue, who lectures me and everyone about Chinese products being cheap and supposedly inferior: Beshie, darling… have you ever heard of global supply chains, manufacturing ecosystems, technological upgrading, and international economic interdependence?
China manufactures everything from inexpensive consumer goods to advanced electric vehicles, telecommunications equipment, industrial machinery, and renewable-energy technologies. Quality depends on specifications, producers, standards, and prices—not nationality. Do some research, dude, before you say blah blah blah. It shows your ignorance…
And if Chinese products are supposedly so worthless, why do businesses worldwide continue sourcing from China, and China is the largest trading partner of almost all countries in the world, including even the United States and the Philippines? Think about that, dude, ok. Try to educate yourself first before you lecture me or anyone, okay, so your arguments have substance and you can contribute to the discourse beautifully, okies hahahaha..
Economic analysis, dear, is NOT a competition in who can make the loudest generalization. Now, to Benjie Contreras, who calls people opposing the views of the likes of Gibo and Tarriela, and Marcos Jr. on China as “mouthpieces,” and questions why Filipinos supposedly depend on China.
My friend, Beshie, economic interdependence is NOT political surrender. Trade is NOT treason. Diplomacy is NOT disloyalty. And advocating peaceful relations with China does not make anyone less Filipino! I hope you get that, coz I know that you are not stupid, my friend.
Calling me a “mouthpiece” of China??? Let me be perfectly straightforward.
Being labeled a “mouthpiece of China” neither offends nor intimidates me. Frankly, I find the accusation rather amusing. In some respects, I could even consider it a badge of honor—NOT because I speak for China/Beijing, but because I have tremendous admiration for what the Chinese people have accomplished. And why shouldn't I?
Look at China today. In less than half a century, China has undergone one of the most extraordinary economic and social transformations in modern history. From a predominantly agrarian, developing economy, it has emerged as the world's second-largest economy by nominal GDP, the largest by purchasing power parity, a global manufacturing powerhouse, and a technological and geopolitical heavyweight.
China has lifted approximately 800 million people out of extreme poverty over four decades, according to the World Bank—an achievement unprecedented in scale. It has developed world-class infrastructure, high-speed rail networks, advanced digital ecosystems, artificial intelligence capabilities, electric vehicles, renewable-energy industries, and sophisticated manufacturing supply chains. It has become the largest merchandise trading partner of a vast number of countries, including many in the Global South.
Of course, China has its challenges; no country is without problems. But acknowledging these challenges does not diminish the magnitude of its accomplishments.
What I admire is not simply China's power, but the discipline, perseverance, strategic vision, national ambition, and extraordinary industriousness of its people. A civilization with thousands of years of history has demonstrated that modernization need not mean abandoning its cultural identity.
Now, if recognizing these accomplishments makes me a supposed “mouthpiece of China,” then perhaps the real problem lies not with my observations but with the intellectual limitations of those making the accusation.
But let me clarify something. I cannot—and do not—claim to be China's mouthpiece. China has its own diplomats, scholars, intellectuals, institutions, and citizens who can articulate its achievements far better than I can.
I am simply a Filipino observer, scholar, academic, researcher, and analyst practicing my craft in political science, international relations, and economics, seeking to understand China's development, its civilization, its political economy, and the strategic factors behind its remarkable rise.
Admiration is not allegiance. Intellectual curiosity is not treason. And acknowledging success is not political submission. I do not need to hate China to love the Philippines. And I certainly DO NOT need anyone's permission to exercise independent judgment.
NOW, HERE IS THE MORE UNCOMFORTABLE QUESTION: WHAT HAPPENED TO THE PHILIPPINES IN THE LAST 50 YEARS??? Why has the Philippines, blessed with so much human potential, repeatedly fallen short of what it could have become?
I am Filipino and was born one. My loyalty is to the Philippines. My intellectual independence is NOT negotiable. I have never acquired another citizenship, and I have no intention of doing so. But if admiring another country's progress is considered shameful, while defending decades of domestic underperformance is supposedly patriotic, then perhaps we have fundamentally misunderstood patriotism and nationalism. Think about that, folks.
And since patriotism apparently interests you so much, Gibo, allow me to remind you of something.
What about you? Do you want me to discuss your history with Maltese citizenship again, and your allegiance to Uncle Sam? I have pieces of evidence to support this. Dare?
Folks, Hindi sapat ang pagiging anti-China para maging pro-Philippines. At lalong hindi nangangahulugang makabayan ka dahil lamang malapit ka sa Washington or anti-China ka!
And one final reminder, Gibo: The DND is NOT a trolling department. National security is NOT a popularity contest. And patriotism and nationalism are NOT the exclusive property of people who agree with you. NOT at all and NOT EVER!
Grow up and be mature; you are already quite old, Gibo.
Kakaloka! Ang taas ng posisyon, pero ang baba ng antas ng diskurso at talagang nag-resort to trolling pa.. Ano bay an??? Kakaloka, Gibo, you are a certified comedian hehehe…
Marvin retweeted
China’s defence minister not attending the 13th ASEAN Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus does not mean that China disrespects ASEAN.
The real question is why Teodoro, as the host country’s defence secretary, arranged the invitation so hastily.
According to information released by the Chinese side, the Philippines did not send the invitation until October 22, leaving China with fewer than five working days to prepare.
Was this simply administrative negligence, or was the time deliberately compressed to limit the Chinese delegation’s preparations? Teodoro has a responsibility to explain this to the Filipino public, rather than give you yet another excuse to attack China.
If the Philippines genuinely wanted China to participate in regional dialogue, it should have sent the invitation well in advance and allowed sufficient time for preparations, instead of putting the Chinese side under unnecessary time pressure and then making an issue out of the fact that China did not send its defence minister.
ASEAN is a regional multilateral mechanism, not a stage for Philippine politicians to exploit for their anti-China political agendas.
Shifting responsibility for a diplomatic controversy of one’s own making onto China, and then accusing Beijing of disrespecting ASEAN, simply does not stand up to scrutiny.
Why did China not send its defense minister to the 13th ADMM-Plus in Cebu?
The answer is obvious: Beijing belittles ASEAN as a multilateral regional bloc.
This was never about the Philippines hosting the meeting. The ADMM-Plus is not a bilateral engagement with Manila. It is a regional mechanism that brings together the ASEAN member states and their eight dialogue partners.
If Beijing truly respected that platform and the region it represents, it would not throw a tantrum and send only an embassy defense attaché, its lowest level of representation since the mechanism began in 2010. Other dialogue partners, such as India, sent their defense ministers.
But because China has no regard for ASEAN, it let a personal grudge against one attendee decide whether it would show up. It is ironic that Beijing now lectures ASEAN on consensus, consultation and diplomatic protocol. Respect for a regional bloc is shown by showing up, not by snubbing the meeting and blaming the host!
Marvin retweeted
China signed a loan treaty with the USSR, they had to repay with agricultural products, gold or USD.
USD was difficult given US sanctions & total trade embargo.
Gold? Chiang Kai-shek looted gold reserves to Taiwan.
You preach CIA & Pentagon funded talking points, not history.
Marvin retweeted
Former New Zealand prime minister Dame Jenny Shipley spoke to #MediaUnlocked about the differences between Chinese and Western aid models. She said that unlike Western aid, which often comes with conditions, China's Belt and Road Initiative places greater emphasis on reciprocity, helping neighboring countries grow together.
Marvin retweeted
Teodoro says the Philippines doesn't need partners like China? Well, that's easy to say when you're not the one paying the bills. Ordinary Filipinos need jobs, investments, trade, affordable goods, and peace—not politicians who think picking fights with neighbors is an economic development strategy.
And calling everything you disagree with "FAKE NEWS" doesn't magically make you an expert on facts. If shouting "Fake News!" were enough to win an argument, you would already have a PhD in everything.
Thanks for being factual.
Really important when you are dealing with infants who throw their toys out of the pram.
Tarriela, you seem to think that catching someone on a point of wording is proof that you have won the entire argument.
But what you have actually exposed is the very side of yourself you would rather the Filipino people never see.
The Chinese Embassy mentioned Gilberto Teodoro because it was telling you to raise the energy issue with the current Defense Secretary. It never claimed that he signed the 2018 MOU. That document was signed by then Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. You deliberately conflated two separate issues and then triumphantly declared that someone had confused the names. That is not exposing fake news. It is avoiding the real question.
Now let’s talk about the actual facts.
In 2018, China and the Philippines signed an MOU on oil and gas cooperation, agreeing to negotiate a possible arrangement for joint development.
In 2019, the two sides held their first Joint Steering Committee meeting.
In June 2022, then Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. openly acknowledged that the Philippine government had terminated the negotiations on the instructions of President Duterte, citing the risk of a constitutional crisis if the talks proceeded further.
More importantly, after the negotiations were terminated, China publicly expressed its willingness to continue talks with the incoming Philippine administration.
These are matters of public record.
So, Tarriela, what exactly are you accusing China of? Refusing to accept every condition unilaterally imposed by the Philippines? Or refusing to solve the Philippine government’s own constitutional and political problems for it?
You are entitled to defend the Philippines’ legal position. China is equally entitled to defend its own sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.
Cooperation must be based on mutual respect and equal negotiations, not on one side demanding that the other accept all its claims first.
And you should understand one more thing: the Philippines is not ASEAN, and ASEAN is certainly not a megaphone for Philippine anti-China politics. Your government keeps manufacturing confrontation, yet has failed to build broad consensus among ASEAN members behind its hardline approach toward China. That alone should tell you that regional countries do not want to be dragged into your political games.
Ordinary Filipinos need energy, jobs, investment and economic development — not another endless stream of anti-China slogans.
Tarriela, are you genuinely defending the interests of the Filipino people, or are you exploiting the China issue to build your own reputation and advance the political interests of your patrons?
An official with a genuine sense of responsibility should help find solutions for his country, not turn diplomatic failures into personal political performances.
Stop hiding political incompetence behind the language of patriotism.
The Filipino people deserve the truth, and they deserve a government willing to take responsibility for its policy failures.
China will not abandon its national interests to satisfy the political ambitions of certain Philippine politicians. Nor should the future of the Philippines be held hostage by their anti-China political theatrics.
