5 days ago
‘Indian Navy Sails Where It Wants': Philippine Envoy Hails New Delhi's Bold Naval Moves Near China
London: The Indian and the Philippine navies recently carried out a joint drill close to the South China Sea. The exercise took place in waters of strategic importance for Manila. The manoeuvres have become a talking point in the Philippines.
Teodoro 'Teddy Boy' Locsin Jr., former foreign minister of the Philippines and now the country's ambassador to the United Kingdom, spoke about the Indian Navy on X. He said the Indian Navy sails wherever it chooses.
The Indian Navy is the only one with the balls to go where it pleases; Western navies sing a cappella like castrati. — Teddy Locsin Jr. (@teddyboylocsin) August 13, 2025
His remark came during an online exchange about the recent India-Philippines exercise. Locsin also took a swipe at Western navies. He compared them to castrati who sing a cappella. Castrati were male singers in church choirs and opera houses who retained a high-pitched voice after being castrated before puberty.
The ambassador's comment was part of a conversation about the scope of the joint drill. The exercise took place in the West Philippine Sea, a section of the Indo-Pacific near the Philippines. This drill came shortly before President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s visit to India.
An analyst had described the drill as being inside a region that forms part of the larger South China Sea. He also referred to China's sweeping claims in those waters.
Another X user rejected that view. The user stated that the drill was inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone. He highlighted that the area lies thousands of kilometres from mainland China.
The Philippine envoy joined the thread with his praise for the Indian Navy. He also pointed out that this was not the first such drill between the two navies. The West Philippine Sea hosted a similar joint patrol in 2021.
Defence observers see these exercises as a sign of deepening India-Philippines security ties. The waters where the two navies operate are rich in resources. They are also contested by Beijing.
For Manila, the presence of the Indian Navy signals wider cooperation in protecting maritime rights.
