Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 31) — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) bared that some pro-China narratives being circulated are aimed to “manipulate” opinions and distract the public from their aggression in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
PCG spokesperson for WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela posted on Monday night three pro-China claims, which authorities suspect as promoting Beijing’s interests. He said “some groups” were behind this move.Ironically, these individuals claim to be pro-Filipino while promoting Chinese narratives and even contradicting factual reports from Philippine authorities,” he said.Ultimately, their proposed solutions amount to accommodating China’s unreasonable and illegal claims, rather than seeking fair and just resolutions that safeguard our national interests,” he added.The PCG official said one of the narratives includes claiming that being vocal against China’s aggressive tactics in the disputed waters “will lead us into a war.Tarriela debunked this, saying exposing China’s acts in the WPS will not only help government officials and Filipinos become aware of the latter’s violations of international law but will also “safeguard our country from political manipulation and disinformation.Also, by calling out China’s bad behavior at sea, we highlight which party is really responsible for raising tensions and increasing the likelihood of a kinetic conflict,” he said.On questioning Filipino authorities’ goal for transparency as influenced by the US, Tarriela said the PCG invites local reporters to cover developments in the WPS for “accurate and unbiased reporting of the events they witness.He stressed that pushing for transparency was free from external influence.Tarriela also hit the branding against people who criticize China as anti-Filipino and pro-US.The PCG executive said this was seemingly backing China’s earlier statements that the South China Sea issue was its issue with the US alone.Instead of offering solutions that prioritize Philippine national interests, they resort to labeling patriotic Filipinos as pro-US in an attempt to discredit them. This aligns with China’s narrative that the South China Sea is solely a US-China issue, disregarding the agency of claimant states and the importance of defending our maritime rights based on international law,” he said.President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said in September that the dispute involving contested waterways was not only about the “competition between two powerful countries.” He did not specify if he was referring to the US and China, but the latter previously accused the US as the “mastermind” in the arbitration case.
