A Palace official maintained on Thursday, March 27, 2025, that the Philippines is “no one’s chess piece” in response to China’s criticism of the anticipated meeting between local officials and United States Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. - Screengrab from RTVM/Facebook
MANILA: “The Philippines is no one’s chess piece. We are an independent country.”
Undersecretary Claire Castro of the Presidential Communication Office made that remark in a briefing on Thursday (March 27) in response to China’s criticism of the anticipated meeting between local officials and United States Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
