THE emergence of anti-China sentiment in the country could be regarded as one of the clearest political dividing lines in the post-Rodrigo Duterte era. Prominent anti-China hawks have risen as a bloc since 2022 after China’s blatant water-cannoning, laser-pointing, and Ayungin Shoal blockades that have occured regularly against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea.
Leading the pack of the anti-China hawks in Philippine politics is Sen. Risa Hontiveros of the Akbayan Party List. She could be regarded the longest, most consistent hawk because she has made her position clear since 2016, when she filed Senate Resolutions. 85, 369, and 589, urging the Executive to exert legal and diplomatic pressures, require China pay reparations for the massive environmental damage in the West Philippine Sea, and stop ecologically destructive activities. Risa has also asked for indemnification by China after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) found coral harvesting by Chinese vessels in WPS.
After China water-cannoned resupply boats to BRP Sierra Madre near Ayungin Shoal, Risa said: “Huwag niya nang ipagtanggol best friend niya. Walang napala Pilipinas.” It was a statement directed at Duterte, who unabashedly defended China. Risa even took efforts to push for the inclusion of WPS education in the school curriculum. Risa argued that public awareness was a key defense against foreign interference and disinformation. China, through its Embassy here, often rebutted her resolutions. Risa further expanded the anti-China campaign by launching the “Atin Ito West Philippine Sea,” a public campaign to raise awareness of China’s misdeeds.
Lately, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. has emerged as the most aggressive voice in the Cabinet voice, as he described Peking’s actions and maneuvers of its vessels in WPS as illegal and dangerous. Gibo ordered transparency missions by the Armed Forces by releasing videos of water cannoning, ramming of BRP Datu Magat Salamat, colliding with PCG.
Gibo said the Philippines would not seek permission for resupply in its own EEZ. Gibo went to the extent to slam steel plants that have links with China and describe the POGO hubs as a national security risk. China could only repeatedly brand Gibo’s as “extremely anti-China.” The Chinese Embassy in Manila said in a statement: “Teodoro has been smearing China in an attempt to gain political capital and serve personal gains. What he said disregards facts, distorts right and wrong, and seeks to disrupt and undermine China- Philippines relations.” China has banned Gibo from entering China.
The list is incomplete without mentioning former Rep. Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, who told China that the “West Philippine Sea is not a lawless zone, not a private playground” after Peking rammied Philippine vessel there. He added: “The Chinese were not confronting enemy warships. They were confronting a Philippine government vessel helping Filipino fishermen. Yet chose dangerous maneuvers that could have cost Filipino lives.”
As the presiding chair of the pivotal 2024 Quadrilateral Committe (QuadCom), Barbers led in the congressional inquiry “in aid of legislation” of Chinese nationals masquerading as Filipino citizens, who bought lands near Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) military sites in Cagayan, among others, and POGO hubs in Pampanga. Barbers filed successful forfeiture cases against those Chinese nationals, leading to their recovery in favor of the Philippine government. China’s reaction was more of disdain against Barbers, who wouldn’t care less.
The “Young Guns” Bloc at the House of Representatives that included the likes of Reps. Zia Adiong of Lanao del Sur, Jay Khonghun of Zambales, Manuel Chua of Manila, among others came out with a House Resolution condemning China’s illegal actions in WPS. In their Sept. 28, 2026 statement, they said: “‘We don’t need your permission!’ Filipino troops do not need Beijing’s permission to carry out lawful missions in EEZ.”
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin firmly rejected the House resolution, which, he said, “groundlessly criticized, misrepresented and smeared China.”
Of course, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself tops the lift. He represents the basic shift to complete and full independecen from Duterte’s policyy of complete subservience to China. First, the President adopted in 2023 the transparency strategy by invoking the 2016 arbitral ruling at the UN Conference on the Law on the Sea (UNCLOS). In one or two instances, the President said: “We refer to it as the West Philippine Sea… since time immemorial.”
His administration, through the Department of Foreign Affairs, has filed over 150 diplomatic protests against China , expanded EDCA to nine military sites, and launched joint patrols with the U.S., Australia, and Japan. China’s reactions were varied but predictable because they were on the same theme. It called upon the Philippine government from hyping up the issue, stop provocations, and return to bilateral negotiations, which the Marcos government all flatly rejected.
