SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – New videos from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) released just before midnight on Wednesday, June 19, offer a glimpse into the harrowing situation that Filipino soldiers found themselves in on Monday, June 17 – as the subject of the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) violence. “In a brazen act of […]
SUMMARY PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines – What Chinese coast guard personnel have done in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) on June 17 – boarding a Philippine government ship, wielding machetes and knives to puncture navy boats, and seizing disassembled rifles – constitute “piracy” and Beijing should pay for the damage, the Armed Forces of the Philippines […]
SUMMARY Claim: China recognizes the Philippines’ territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea. Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video bearing the claim has 62,348 views and 393 comments as of writing. It was posted on June 7, 2024, by a channel with 3,030 subscribers. In its thumbnail, headline, and description, the YouTube video asserts […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – China must avoid actions that would endanger sailors and vessels in the South China Sea, the Philippine foreign ministry said on Wednesday, June 19, adding peace cannot be achieved if its words do not match its behavior in the disputed waters. The Philippine foreign ministry said it “denounces the illegal and aggressive actions” […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Japan and Canada on Tuesday, June 18, joined the Philippines’ treaty-ally the United States and strategic partner Australia in expressing support for Manila following the latest – and worst, thus far – incident between Chinese and Filipino personnel and vessels in the West Philippine Sea. “Japan reiterates serious concern over repeated […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said on Tuesday, June 18, that China’s disruption of a Philippine resupply mission to the West Philippine Sea on June 17 was “an escalation in a pattern of deeply concerning and destabilizing behavior by China.” The statement came just after Chinese Premier Li […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) confirmed on Tuesday evening, June 18, that a soldier from the Philippine Navy “sustained severe injury” after China rammed a Philippine vessel during a resupply mission to Ayungin Shoal on June 17. “A Philippine Navy personnel sustained severe injury after the CCG’s (China Coast […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – Relations between Manila and Beijing have soured under Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with Manila pivoting back towards the United States which supports the Southeast Asian nation in its maritime disputes with China. Here is a timeline of key events since 2023 that have escalated tensions between the Philippines and China: […]
SUMMARY MANILA, Philippines – The United States State Department on Tuesday, June 18 (Monday, June 17 in Washington) reaffirmed that armed attacks on Philippine armed forces and public vessels could be basis to invoke the Mutual Defense Treaty between Washington and Manila, a day after a “ramming and towing” incident in the West Philippine Sea. […]
SUMMARY Aldwin Pagaoa retired as a seaman 10 years ago and started in his hometown of Candon City, Ilocos Sur, a cottage industry to build scale models of ships mainly for seafarers like him. But recently, he has been busy building scale models of a grounded Filipino ship that has become a symbol of the […]