SUMMARY Claim: Soldiers from India have entered the West Philippine Sea (WPS) to counter China. Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim was posted on May 13, 2024, by the YouTube channel “PHILIPPINES TRENDING NEWS,” which has 494,000 subscribers. As of writing, the video has 63,696 views, 1,200 likes, and 139 comments. […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The “largest blockade” of Chinese vessels is en route to Panatag Shoal (also known as Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc) in the West Philippine Sea, ahead of a civilian mission to the area, said an expert and observer of maritime movements in the region on Monday, May 13. Raymond Powell, […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – When talking about the West Philippine Sea, narratives are important. Overlapping and diverging narratives took a scandalous turn last week, with Beijing claiming possession and threatening the release of a recorded phone call that, it said, proves that Western Command Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos had agreed to their terms in resupply […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – While vowing to “continue to focus its efforts on advancing cooperation with all countries,” the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Monday, May 14, that it would “look into any reports of illegal and unlawful activities” of diplomats posted in the Philippines. “The Department of Foreign Affairs will look into […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is committed to sustaining a presence in a disputed area of the South China Sea to ensure China does not carry out reclamation activities at the Sabina Shoal, its spokesperson said on Monday, May 13. The PCG said on Saturday it has deployed ships to Sabina […]
SUMMARY Nitong Mayo 10, inudyukan ni National Security Adviser Eduardo Año ang Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) na patalsikin sa Maynila ang Chinese embassy diplomats na naglabas sa media ng isa umanong recording. Sabi naman ni Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro, dapat daw imbesitagahan ng DFA kung nilabag ng embassy officials ng Tsina ang Anti-Wiretapping Act […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines said on Saturday, May 11, it has deployed ships to a disputed area in the South China Sea, where it accused China of building “an artificial island” in an escalating maritime row. The coast guard sent a ship “to monitor the supposed illegal activities of China, creating ‘an artificial […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – A marine biologist who led the recent marine scientific research (MSR) in Pag-asa (Thitu) Island estimated that the damage on coral reefs in the isolated cays may have been going on for ““several years already.” “The ones that are underwater, from, let’s say, 7 meters deep to around 20 meters deep […]
SUMMARY BEIJING, China – China’s military closely monitored and “drove away” USS Halsey that entered the territorial waters of Paracel Islands in the South China Sea on May 10, Friday, the Southern Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army said in a statement on Friday. The US move “seriously infringed on China’s sovereignty and security,” […]
MANILA, Philippines – While tensions escalate in the West Philippine Sea between Philippines and China, Filipino scientists continue to study the environment and biodiversity in the area. Jonathan Anticamara of the University of the Philippines Institute of Biology led the latest marine scientific research, which found coral reefs in Sandy Cay in a degraded state. […]