KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malacañang slammed the criticisms made by Davao 1st District Representative Paolo Duterte against the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

This came after Duterte, AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., and Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela engaged in a heated exchange on social media following Brawner’s statement that the US-made Typhon missiles have the capability to reach China.

Duterte called Brawner “trigger happy,” warning that such statements could further heighten tensions in the region. The AFP later clarified that Brawner was merely stating a “technical fact.”

In a press briefing, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said such remarks were unsurprising, claiming that the Duterte family has long been “pro-China.”

She also cited former President Rodrigo Duterte’s past admission that he was “inutile” and “cannot do anything” about China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

“Maybe you remember this,” Castro said. “So, will the children oppose their father?”

Don’t undermine modernization

The Palace official urged the Dutertes not to undermine President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s efforts to modernize the AFP.

“All this is not for self-interest, not for any country, but for our own country,” Castro stressed.

“We need to strengthen our forces, not to be able to wage war, as they say, that they are threatening our countrymen that doing so is like inciting war,” she said. “That is not what the President wants. We just need to strengthen our forces and not be like the previous administration that will be considered useless when it comes to China aggression.”

Castro also called on the Duterte family to be vocal in condemning incidents in the West Philippine Sea, including water cannon attacks and the harassment of Filipino fisherfolk.

“I hope we can hear from them too. We can also hear their thoughts on what is happening to our fishermen and the feelings and experiences of our members in the Philippine Coast Guard,” she said.