SUMMARY Claim: A video shows the United States Coast Guard Cutter Bertholf (WMSL 750) arriving in the Philippines to confront China over its recent acts of aggression in the West Philippine Sea. Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video published on December 10 has over 137,575 views and 1,400 likes as of writing. At the […]

SUMMARY After back-to-back water cannon incidents in the West Philippine Sea and calls for Manila to reject Beijing’s top envoy here, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. appears to be taking a step back, saying it’s important “to be very careful that we do not overreact” when it comes to what he calls the “most complex geopolitical […]

SUMMARY CLAIM: A dozen Chinese drones were destroyed by the USS Benfold in the West Philippine Sea.  Why we fact-checked this: The video bearing the claim was posted on December 9 by the YouTube channel “PH TV,” which has 333,000 subscribers.  It has gained 29,596 views, 1,100 likes, and 145 comments as of writing. The facts: […]

SUMMARY The short answer is that it’s easier said than done. With rising tensions in the West Philippine Sea, there’s increasing talk now of the Philippines becoming less dependent on the Chinese economy – as a signal that we’re not tolerating China’s illegal incursions in our very own backyard. Most recently, law professor and maritime […]

Rappler joined volunteers from the Atin Ito activist coalition, the first-ever civilian convoy to the West Philippine Sea, on Sunday, December 10. This, despite the ongoing harassment by Chinese maritime militia ships and Chinese Coast Guard vessels. Atin Ito staged donation drives, including a concert, to gather supplies for West Philippine Sea “frontliners” – fisherfolk, […]

SUMMARY As the year comes to a close, I offer some reflections on strategic thinking in the Philippines or, really, the lack of it. These thoughts come to mind as we see the acceleration of China’s provocations in the West Philippine Sea, particularly in Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc) and Second Thomas Shoal (Ayungin).  What will the Philippines do […]

SUMMARY In the past few weeks, the tension arising from China’s coercive tactics at the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has escalated.  At the Second Thomas Shoal last November 10, 38 Chinese vessels swarmed around the adjacent waters; water cannons along with reckless maneuvers were employed to harass our vessels involved in the resupply mission. In […]

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said his country is working to resolve “exploration issues” in the South China Sea so it could start new energy exploration projects in the resource-rich waterway to meet his nation’s energy needs. Marcos, in an interview with Japanese media on Saturday, December 16, said tensions in […]

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said on Saturday, December 16, that it has initiated an investigation into the December 5 incident involving a Chinese ship and a Filipino boat in Occidental Mindoro. In a statement, the PCG said it is already coordinating with appropriate authorities for a “swift and comprehensive investigation” […]

SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines is contingency planning for an escalation of hostilities in the South China Sea, according to a senior military official, including a scenario where crew repel Chinese forces attempting to board Philippine vessels. Ties between the two countries have deteriorated this year after several collisions and repeated standoffs near disputed […]