WPS is more than a maritime tension

On April 30, tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) marked another incident with China’s highly lethal water cannon pressure against Filipino vessels at Scarborough Shoal, as reported by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela. This incident, amidst a longstanding maritime dispute, garnered condemnation from international community and several lawmakers. Other aggressive gray zone tactics by the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) against Philippine vessels also includes uncovering of naval guns, lasing a PCG bridge, collisions, and more, coming closer to military provocations tantamount to acts of war.

Scarborough Shoal is just one of the disputed maritime features in the region. Another contentious area is the long-disputed Second Thomas Shoal, also known as Ayungin Shoal, where the BRP Sierra Madre was grounded in 1999. It now serves as the westernmost military outpost of the country, directly challenging China’s expansive territorial claims and their ten-dash line claims in the South China Sea (SCS) region.

On March 5, 2024, tensions led to damage to a Philippine supply vessel and injuries to Filipino crew members. The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) responded by summoning the Chinese Embassy and lodging a diplomatic protest, asserting Philippine sovereignty, and calling for an end to international law violations.

Reading the news, I notice that we seem to be overlooking the big picture of this matter! China has a coordinated messaging strategy, while we remain reactionary. This is more than just a maritime issue; it requires more than credible defense posture or maritime capability modernization and hardware purchases for our boats. We are in the midst of an informational warfare, as the Greek philosopher Aeschylus warned, “in any war, the first casualty is the truth.”

We must recall that China’s territorial claims in the region are based on false historical narratives disseminated among its populace. These narratives have led many Chinese citizens to believe in the legitimacy of the ten-dash line, to the extent that China sends cruise ships filled with tourists to these disputed areas. This stance is contradictory, given that China is a signatory to the 1984 UN Convention on the Laws of the Sea (UNCLOS).

China’s strategic disinformation campaigns aim to sow confusion and doubt among Filipinos regarding defensive actions in the West Philippine Sea. Coordinated efforts across social media platforms have portrayed these defensive measures as ‘provocative,’ fueling defeatist sentiments among the public. The recent water-bombing incident targeting our resupply boats to BRP Sierra Madre serves as a stark example of this gaslighting tactic.

Several instances of media manipulation were also noted, including infamous reports from The Global Times, which hosted several notable Philippine officials and security experts to support their gaslighting narratives. For example, The Global Times reported that the Philippines was “imposed” upon by the US to take part in its “proxy war” against China in the region. On March 29, The Global Times called the Philippines “playing victim” in the escalation of tensions in the WPS. Many words were used, including branding the US as the “biggest external disturbance” and stating that Manila repeatedly ignored Chinese warnings. Marcos refuted this by stating, “Filipinos do not yield.” The Philippines was only exhausting tools and opportunities available in the whole-of-alliance approach and cooperation with our longstanding allies like the US, Japan, Australia, and more are coming.

President Marcos Jr. has vehemently refuted these narratives, asserting that Filipinos stand firm and “Filipinos do not yield” to external pressures. Instead, the Philippines leverages alliances with longstanding partners like the US, Japan, and Australia to address regional challenges without prejudice and remaining open to friendly relations with China.

China’s strategic disinformation campaigns aim to sow confusion and doubt among Filipinos regarding defensive actions in the West Philippine Sea. Coordinated efforts across social media platforms have portrayed these defensive measures as ‘provocative,’ fueling defeatist sentiments among the public. The recent water-bombing incident targeting our resupply boats to BRP Sierra Madre serves as a stark example of this gaslighting tactic.

Several instances of media manipulation were also noted, including infamous reports from The Global Times, which hosted several notable Philippine officials and security experts to support their gaslighting narratives. For example, The Global Times reported that the Philippines was “imposed” upon by the US to take part in its “proxy war” against China in the region. On March 29, The Global Times called the Philippines “playing victim” in the escalation of tensions in the WPS. Many words were used, including branding the US as the “biggest external disturbance” and stating that Manila repeatedly ignored Chinese warnings. Marcos refuted this by stating, “Filipinos do not yield.” The Philippines was only exhausting tools and opportunities available in the whole-of-alliance approach and cooperation with our longstanding allies like the US, Japan, Australia, and more are coming.

President Marcos Jr. has vehemently refuted these narratives, asserting that Filipinos stand firm and “Filipinos do not yield” to external pressures. Instead, the Philippines leverages alliances with longstanding partners like the US, Japan, and Australia to address regional challenges without prejudice and remaining open to friendly relations with China.

China’s latest disinformation tactic involves selectively disclosing facts, particularly regarding their alleged “gentleman’s agreement” with former President Rodrigo Duterte. They claim there was an agreement to halt repairs on BRP Sierra Madre, but they have not provided any evidence to support this assertion.

Last January, Beijing and Manila agreed to a hotline to prevent South China Sea miscommunication during Marcos Jr.’s visit. However, there still lacks a direct line with President Xi Jinping, despite proposing it over a year ago amid tensions. Efforts at various levels haven’t resulted in a personal connection with Xi, indicating ongoing diplomatic challenges.

Joyce Ilas-Reyes from Stratbase ADR Institute confirmed these findings through her research, indicating that disinformation campaigns in the WPS originate from political operators, including leaders from China and the Philippines. These campaigns aim to shape public opinion in favor of China by manipulating media, social media, and public discourse. This strategy has led to biased policies and a positive perception of China despite its aggressive actions in the WPS from 2016 to 2022. The dissemination of China’s message is facilitated by the involvement of leaders like former President Rodrigo Duterte, along with co-opted media networks, journalists, pro-Duterte and pro-China bloggers, and troll armies posing as experts and journalists online.

As countermeasures, the Philippines launched a transparency initiative in 2023, sharing WPS incidents publicly through proactive media coverage of resupply missions and other maritime activities in the area. China then became more mindful of those who are outspoken, especially PCG Spokesperson Tarriela and those media reporters included in the resupply missions to Ayungin, for recording footages that reveal China’s dangerous maneuvers.

While the footages and media reports help disseminate information, it is still not enough. On March 31, Malacañang announced the creation of the Maritime Council under Executive Order 57, which was falsely claimed to be the president’s marching orders and a declaration of war against China. The EO aims to bolster maritime security in the Philippines, particularly in response to ongoing tensions in the WPS. The move involves reorganizing key agencies to enhance the country’s maritime capabilities and domain awareness. However, the specifics of what the council is doing remain unknown, and people are eager to see results.

As Goebbels, the Nazi propagandist, famously stated, an unchallenged lie can morph into perceived truth. This underscores the critical importance of preemptively telling our own narrative and disseminating factual information. And sadly, perception gets more traction than the truth, hence telling what is factual is not enough. We need to do it creatively as lies also becoming more creative.

These tensions in the region are not the problem per se. The water cannons and lasers are now mere consequences of the disinformation campaigns and attacks perpetrated by both Chinese and so-called makapilis among us. These are happening because a Chinese sailor decided to, but because there are liars in the highest echelons of their government and our government.

These are times that the president must recruit more competent and creative public communicators who are vigorous and more passionate in leading the charge of fact-checking and truth-telling. While the WPS Task Force is in place, we need to expand our efforts. We must take more decisive and effective action, communicate with greater clarity, and impact, and surpass China’s informational warfare tactics. This is how we should put their pants on fire!