It is regrettable that the DND spokesperson has issued two statements in a single day, yet still failed to provide any substantive response to the issues at hand. Instead of facts, evidence, or a coherent logical argument, we are presented with slogans and inflammatory language such as “unacceptable to Filipinos”—an obvious attempt to stir nationalist sentiment and frame legitimate diplomatic disagreement as an affront to the Filipino people. That is not serious debate; it is political rhetoric. And by Mr. Andolong’s own logic, the Philippine Department of National Defense has no authority to demand that the Chinese Embassy answer questions simply because the DND has chosen to raise them. If expressing a contrary position by a foreign embassy constitutes “interference in Philippine internal affairs,” then the DND should explain why its own demands for answers from a foreign diplomatic mission do not amount to the same kind of interference. Even more troubling is the attempt to accuse the Chinese side of “coddling illegal activities” without producing convincing evidence. Such serious allegations cannot be established by insinuation or repetition. If the DND has evidence of wrongdoing, it should present that evidence and allow appropriate mechanisms to take their course. Otherwise, these accusations remain nothing more than politically charged assertions. The Filipino people should not be casually invoked to lend weight to an otherwise weak argument. No government spokesperson has the right to speak as though an entire nation shares a single view, particularly when the purpose is to discredit criticism or silence different opinions. Respect for the Filipino people means respecting their capacity to examine facts, question official narratives, and reach their own conclusions. A serious government statement should stand on evidence and reason, not on nationalist slogans, personal attacks, or accusations of “interference.” If the DND has a substantive case, let it make that case. If it does not, invoking “Filipinos” and “sovereignty” cannot turn rhetoric into facts. ——Spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy Ji Lingpeng