Analysts told This Week in Asia the unusual step of targeting a defence chief’s family might be a case of “killing the chicken to warn the monkeys” – meaning punishing one high-profile critic to deter others – while opening a debate over whether Manila should retaliate in kind.
Among those urging a reciprocal response was Antonio Carpio, a retired Supreme Court justice and influential voice on Philippine maritime rights, who said the Philippines should respond “tit-for-tat” by banning China’s defence minister and his family from entering the country to show it would not be intimidated.
Beijing, however, has framed the sanctions more narrowly as a response to Teodoro’s own remarks, rather than as a broader signal to Manila.
The foreign ministry said Teodoro had “repeatedly made erroneous remarks” against China, undermining Beijing’s legitimate interests and damaging bilateral relations.
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