Malacañang rejected suggestions that the Philippines’ diplomatic stance in the South China Sea shows weakness, while also pushing back against China’s claim that Manila is acting as a “disruptor” in the region.<br /><br />Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said this after Senator Erwin Tulfo said at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the Philippines was “allowing” itself to be bullied in the name of diplomacy, and that “diplomacy without deterrence is weakness.”<br /><br />READ: https://mb.com.ph/2025/08/29/palace-defends-diplomacy-with-china-but-rejects-troublemaker-tag<br /><br />Subscribe to the Manila Bulletin Online channel! - https://www.youtube.com/TheManilaBulletin<br /><br />Visit our website at http://mb.com.ph<br />Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin<br />Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/manila_bulletin<br />Instagram: https://instagram.com/manilabulletin<br />Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com @manilabulletin<br /><br />#ManilaBulletinOnline<br />#ManilaBulletin<br />#LatestNews<br />
