Riyaz ul Khaliq
29 June 2024•Update: 30 June 2024
ISTANBUL
"Disinformation" has added to the challenges facing the Philippines as it works to navigate tensions with China in nearby waters.
Authorities in the Philippines, and especially its armed forces, have regularly been busting social media claims regarding its activities in the disputed South China Sea where its personnel clashed with the Chinese in recent weeks.
Acknowledging an "alarming surge" in disinformation, the Philippines Armed Forces warned it may erode public trust in the institution.
"Photos claiming to show a massive shipment of US military supplies to the Philippines are FALSE. These images were actually taken during a US aid delivery to Ukraine in 2022," the military wrote in a post on X, showing Washington's supplies to Kyiv falsely presented as arms shipments to Manila.
The surge in disinformation comes as Manila and Beijing are engaged in a dispute on maritime claims around the Second Thomas Shoal where the Philippines has deliberately grounded a World War II-era warship, identified as the BRP Sierra Madre.
On June 17, when the armed forces dispatched a resupply mission to soldiers deployed on the rusting warship, the Chinese Coast Guard rushed to block the Filipino vessel and boarded, searched and slashed the vessel.
One Filipino soldier lost his thumb during the fighting.
The Philippines' military said the Chinese attacked the soldiers with "knives and other pointed tools," while using blaring sirens and strobe lights to disorient them.
"Please note that this social media post circulating online features a photo from December 26, 2021 article during a Christmas mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and is not related to any current events," the AFP said in another post on X, debunking another claim that Manila was air dropping packages on the BRP Sierra Madre via helicopter.
China wants the Philippines to tow the warship from the disputed waters, identified by Manila as WPS, and has recently accused the Philippines of supplying construction materials to the site.
The tensions between Manila and Beijing have seen the US extend support to the Philippines, with which Washington has a mutual defense treaty in case of any armed attack on the archipelago nation, including maritime ones.
Beijing has accused Washington of supporting Manila on what China calls "provocations of the Philippines side."
"In these critical times, it is crucial for every Filipino to remain vigilant and critical of the information they encounter and share. Disinformation ... undermines our unity, making us vulnerable to external challenges that threaten our national security and stability," the armed forces warned in a public message.
