SUMMARY HANOI, Vietnam – Vietnam and the Philippines agreed on Tuesday, January 30, to boost cooperation among their coastguards and to prevent untoward incidents in the South China Sea, in an announcement during a state visit to Hanoi by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The two Southeast Asian countries have competing claims over some parts of the […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – National Security Council spokesperson Jonathan Malaya on Monday, January 29, denied China’s belated claim that it made a “temporary special arrangement” to allow the delivery of supplies for troops stationed at the BRP Sierra Madre in the West Philippine Sea. Malaya, speaking on state-run PTV4’s Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, said he was […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Ahead of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s expected visit to Vietnam in late January, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Tuesday, January 23, met with and briefed Vietnamese officials on “its current engagement and maritime security operations in the West Philippine Sea.” In a release, the PCG said Vietnam’s Standing Deputy Minister of […]
SUMMARY The humble Unaizah May 1 has been through the wringer, especially in 2023. The Unaizah May 1 or UM1 is one of two boats the Philippine Navy uses in its regular rotation and resupply (RORE) missions to Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, where the rusty BRP Sierra Madre serves as a military […]
MANILA, Philippines – Filipino fishermen collecting sea shells near Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea were reportedly harassed and driven away by Chinese Coast Guard, according to videos posted on Facebook. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela on Sunday, January 21 said that they are able to identify the origin of the […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on the West Philippine Sea, said on Friday, January 19, that he had “high hopes with moderate expectations,” after the Philippines and China promised to improve its “maritime communication mechanism” not just between diplomats but between its respective coast guards. Tarriela […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines and China, in a bilateral meeting on Wednesday, January 17, agreed to “improve [a] maritime communication mechanism in the South China Sea,” starting 2024. “This includes communications between foreign ministries and coast guards of the two countries,” added the Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in a statement released […]
SUMMARY China and the Philippines agreed to improve maritime communication and to properly manage conflicts and differences through friendly talks in regards to issues around the South China Sea, their foreign ministries said in a statement. China Assistant Foreign Minister Nong Rong and Philippines Foreign Ministry undersecretary Theresa Lazaro held a frank and in-depth exchange […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines will develop islands in the South China Sea that it considers part of its territory to make them more habitable for troops, Manila’s military chief Romeo Brawner told reporters on Monday, January 15. The plans come amid heightened tensions between the Philippines and China, both of whom claim territory […]
SUMMARY Claim: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) will defend the Philippines against China amid ongoing tensions in the South China Sea. Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim has 202,80 views, 2,400 likes, and 466 comments as of writing. The title of the video says, “NATO will defend the Philippines and […]