Filipino cadets in Chinese military school? NSC says it will look into reports

The reports on Filipino cadets studying in military school in China will be discussed in a meeting of the National Task Force - West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya said on Wednesday.

“Ang position po ng Senado dito ay mas maganda kung huwag na nating ituloy as a result of the incident in the Ayungin Shoal,” Malaya said in a televised public briefing.

(The position of the Senate on this is that it would be better if we stop sending them to China as a result of the incident in Ayungin Shoal.)

“Pero kami po sa NSC, siguro pagme-meeting-an po namin ito sa NTF-WPS, which is headed by Secretary Eduardo Año,” he added.

(But for our part in the NSC, perhaps we will have a meeting on this in the NTF-WPS, which is headed by Secretary Eduardo Año.)

Malaya said the NSC learned about the matter just on Tuesday.

He said the issue has already been referred to the Department of National Defense (DND), which, he said, promised to conduct an investigation.

On Monday, several senators on Monday said they were alarmed that Filipino cadets were being sent to a military school in China.

Senator Raffy Tulfo said that it was a slap on the face for the Philippines, considering its challenges in addressing the supposed "bullying" of China.

“Sampal po ito sa atin. Binubully po tayo ng China and yet yung military natin walang magawa tapos ngayon yung mga military natin hindi kayang harapin ang China para sabihing ‘stop’, pinapadala natin sa China para mag-aral,” Tulfo said during a Senate hearing on defense bills.

(It's a slap on our face, China has been bullying us and yet our military, who cannot do anything about it and who cannot tell China to stop, are being sent there to study.)

DND Undersecretary Irineo Espino Espino said they would look into the matter as he admitted he heard about it.

“We will check, and we will ask. I heard about it,” he said —VAL, GMA Integrated News