Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez praised Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. for confronting Chinese disinformation at the recent Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore. Rodriguez commended the two for calling global attention to China’s aggression in the West Philippine Sea and for denouncing online smear campaigns.
He particularly lauded their strong stand against “Media Unlocked,” a platform backed by China Daily, accusing it of peddling fake news to undermine Philippine officials. The lawmaker urged Filipinos to remain vigilant against misinformation targeting the country’s maritime claims and defense leaders.
Teodoro revealed that two fluent English-speaking hosts from Media Unlocked attempted to provoke him and Brawner during the forum, later twisting the encounter in videos circulated on Chinese platforms. “They were pretending to be journalists,” Teodoro said. “Their goal was to create a misleading narrative.” Brawner also said he was blocked from heading to a bilateral meeting and was falsely portrayed as avoiding questions about the West Philippine Sea.
