Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. on Saturday slammed a malicious and misleading report from “Chinese intelligence agents posing as journalists” during a defense conference in Singapore.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy rejected China’s claims of “readiness patrols” in Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal and Bajo de Masinloc).
In a video shared by the AFP on social media, Teodoro said those people claiming to be “journalists” asked him if the Philippines is a proxy of the United States during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
“When I was asked if the Philippines is a proxy of the US, I answered ‘No’ because we are Filipinos. I had an argument with them. They’re the ones stealing our territory. They have yet to release a story about it and they will again twist the narrative,” Teodoro said.
Teodoro and Brawner were attending the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, an event the defense secretary noted had no official delegates from Beijing.
"Instead of sending a defense minister, they sent kids pretending to be journalists, but are actually intelligence agents who ask malicious questions then manipulate the video," the defense chief said.
“They are not real journalists so our Chief of Staff did the right thing by not answering them. I thought they were real, so I argued with them because I’m a Filipino and they were maligning the Philippines, so naturally I responded,” Teodoro said.
Brawner narrated that he did not answer any queries of the supposed journalists as he was proceeding to a bilateral meeting.
“They released an article on WeChat, saying that the Philippines is avoiding answering questions about the West Philippine Sea and accused us of infiltrating, encroaching, and entering their territory," Brawner said.
Teodoro added he later saw the “Chinese journalists” later on and even waved at them.
"A while ago I saw them again and waved, “Hello MSS agents!”. They did not come near. They are not real journalists," he said.
In a social media post on Sunday, the AFP said the purported journalists “violated protocol” by trailing Brawner and “pressing for comments outside formal sessions.”
“They captured selective footage and twisted it into a misleading narrative titled “Philippine military chief dodges questions,” the AFP noted.
“The AFP and DND remain committed to truth, professionalism, and defending the Philippines against foreign propaganda,” it added.
"Monitoring by the Navy and the AFP of the West Phil Sea to include our sovereign waters around BdM ( Bajo de Masinloc) and all over our EEZ indicate no such activity," said AFP spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad Trinidad.
In a message to reporters, Trinidad said as of Saturday morning, sighted at the Scarborough Shoal were two CCG (China Coast Guard) ships, six maritime militia vessels, four fishing boats from Vietnam and three other vessels from Taiwan.
Reuters reported citing Xinhua news agency as saying China's Southern Theatre navy conducted combat readiness patrols on Saturday around the disputed Scarborough Shoal in the South China Sea
China's Navy has continuously intensified patrols and surveillance in the surrounding waters and airspace in the area, further strengthening control over the relevant maritime and aerial domains, Xinhua said.
"No activity of PLA-N (People's Liberation Army Navy) was monitored. News like these are all part of information shaping operations by the CH Communist Party to address any internal dissent or shape the international discourse to their favor," Trinidad added.
Scarborough Shoal, which is also being claimed by the Philippines, is a triangular coral reef formation which surrounds a lagoon, is famed for its rich waters and marine resources.
Scarborough Shoal is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
Last month, the Philippines cited its sovereignty in the area after China called out Manila for its alleged illegal intrusion into Scarborough Shoal.
“These are all part of shaping or malign info operations more likely for their internal audience,” Trinidad said.
“Only the Philippine Navy and other Philippine flagged law enforcement ships have the authority and legal bases to challenge any ship within maritime zones,” he added.
Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.
The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.
In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China’s claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had “no legal basis.”
