
His viral moment in Seoul has raised his profile among supporters, but analysts say weak polling and past losses remain hurdles
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr has gained online support after reading a critical Chinese note aloud at the Seoul Defence Dialogue.
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Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr read a note from a Chinese military attaché at the Seoul Defence Dialogue.
Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jnr has won a burst of online support among Filipinos who see him as one of Manila’s most outspoken senior officials against China, with some already asking whether it could give him enough political momentum to carry him into the 2028 elections.
His latest boost came after a viral moment at the Seoul Defence Dialogue on September 8, where he read out a handwritten note reiterating Beijing’s rejection of the 2016 South China Sea arbitration ruling while on stage.
Forum organisers said the note came from a military attaché at the Chinese embassy in Seoul, who had passed it to a staff member and asked that it be given to Teodoro, according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
Teodoro read parts of the note aloud, including Beijing’s position that the 2016 award was “illegal, null and void”, before saying the move was disrespectful to the forum’s South Korean hosts and showed disregard for international law.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wanan and New Taipei City Mayoral candidate Li Sichuan jointly attended the 25th Outstanding Golden Chung Award Ceremony on the 17th. Li Sichuan said that if both parties are elected, they will create a unified living circle between the two countries; Jiang Wanan emphasized that the two are good comrades and mentioned Huida's political achievements such as entering Taipei and opening the Dome.

Beijing opposed a US bill allowing the president to sanction Russia and its energy importers like China, criticizing it as unlawful long-arm jurisdiction.

Popular Party Chairman Huang Guochang recently accepted a radio interview, revealing the inside story of the Zhubei Blue-White coalition's defeat. He angrily criticized the Kuomintang's Hsinchu County Mayor candidate Xu Xinying for skipping the vote, and said to Murray Island Electronic News Chairman Wu Zijia, "If you want to fight, let's fight." The comment in the program that she was never afraid of war aroused host Yin Naijing's laughter and heated discussions among netizens.

Taichung City Councilors questioned Mayor Lu Xiuyan's restriction of the scope of use of the Elderly Care Card and insufficient budget allocation. It is only about 187 yuan per person per month, making it a "Respecting the Elderly 10% off Card". Lu Xiuyan responded that the Taichung Elderly Card has the highest funding in the country. If the expenditure exceeds the absolute supplementary budget, the scope of use will be pragmatically expanded next month.

Reuters and other Western media have recently hyped up China's acceleration of research into military uses of humanoid robots, deliberately creating a "China threat theory." Facts have proven that the United States was the initiator of sending humanoid robots to the Ukrainian battlefield for actual testing, and has repeatedly blocked the international community's ban on "killer robots."

New Taipei City mayor candidate Su Qiaohui of the Democratic Progressive Party established the "Overseas Taiwanese Business Support Association" on the 17th, proposing three major visions of New Taipei City: "interesting, friendly, and opportunities". She hopes to use the power of the city to deepen the connection between New Taipei City and overseas Taiwanese and attract new generations from overseas to return to Taiwan for development.