By Rodolfo Dacleson II
(June 1, 2025) – High-ranking defense officials of the Philippines on Saturday lambasted the malicious and misleading reportage of alleged media workers from China amid the persisting territorial dispute between the two countries.
Department of National Defense (DND) Sec. Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. recounted how Chinese attendees — who allegedly posed as journalists — questioned him and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore if the country acts as a “proxy” for the United States.
“Sabi ko, ‘Hindi, hindi tayo proxy.’ Natural, Pilipino tayo, pero sila [China] magnanakaw ng teritoryo. Eh ‘di nagsagutan na kami nang nagsagutan. Hindi pa inilalabas ‘yun, pero baka baligtarin na naman nila,” said Teodoro in a video posted on the social media of AFP.
He also criticized China for not sending a top-level official to the annual inter-governmental security conference, which discusses regional and global security challenges.
“Imbes na magpadala sila ng defense minister, nagpapadala sila ng mga bata na nagpapanggap na journalist na ahente ng intelligence nila na nagtatanong nang balagbag tapos binabaligtad ang video,” said Teodoro.
General Brawner, meanwhile, refused to respond to the inquiries, citing the Philippine delegates were in a hurry for a bilateral meeting with an unidentified party.
“But then later on, naglabas sila sa We Chat [ng video] na binaligtad nila ‘yung istorya na umiiwas daw tayo sa mga tanong nila about West Philippine Sea at ‘yun nga ang paratang nila, na tayo [Philippines] daw ‘yung nag-i-infiltrate or encroach, pumapasok dun sa teritoryo nila,” the secretary added.
Earlier today, the AFP warned the public of the said “propaganda video” published by China Daily, saying the latter “twisted it into a misleading narrative.”
On the same day, the Philippine Navy, AFP’s naval arm, also refuted the claims of China’s Southern Theater Navy that it conducted combat readiness patrols in the Bajo de Masinloc, which is within the country’s exclusive economic zone, on Saturday.
The Philippines has repeatedly accused China of peddling fake news and disinformation regarding territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea, which the latter had excessive claims.
ALSO READ: Pro-China accounts promoting Sara, spreading fake news on West Philippine Sea, says report
In recent years, China has simply dismissed the landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration favoring the right to sovereignty of the Philippines in the contested waters and invalidated its so-called “nine-dash line.”
Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. vowed the Philippines will abide by the international laws, adding the country has “no business to instigate a war.”
(JREC)
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