Philippine President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Monday night barred his Cabinet from talking in public about the country’s sea dispute with China, which some of his ministers had rebuked for its actions in the disputed waterway. “If we have to talk, we talk among ourselves,” he said in a televised speech. Only his spokesman can talk about the issue publicly, he added. Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. this month minced no words in telling the Chinese to get out of Philippine waters in the South China Sea, cussing at its neighbor for failing to reciprocate its goodwill.

Atienza, K. A. T. (2021, May 19). Duterte issues gag order on his Cabinet over sea dispute. BusinessWorld, p. S1/10.