Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela on Tuesday warned that pro-China vloggers are actively spreading disinformation to mislead the Filipino people.
Speaking at the House Tri Comm, Tarriela stressed the need to hold online influencers—including trolls and political vloggers—accountable for misleading content that weakens national unity and benefits foreign interests.
He identified disinformation as one of the biggest threats to the Philippine government’s efforts in the WPS, second only to China’s direct aggression. He noted that disinformation “obscures the true narrative of events in the West Philippine Sea, leading to confusion and division among our people.”
The PCG official explained that a false sense of security was created during the previous administration when the public was led to believe that the WPS situation was under control and that China had eased its aggressive actions.
Tarriela said that for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to fulfill his commitment of defending Philippine sovereignty, it is crucial to unite the nation by ensuring people understand the real situation in the WPS.
The disinformation efforts follow a pattern of five key arguments: 1. Challenging the Philippines’ legal standing – Undermining the 2016 arbitral ruling and falsely asserting that China’s 10-dash line has historical legitimacy; 2. Twisting the narrative on maritime incidents – Repeating China’s claims that confrontations at sea were provoked by the Philippines, including vessel collisions; 3. Accusing the Philippines of being a US puppet – Framing transparency efforts as dictated by the United States and coordinated by foreign actors; 4. Spreading a defeatist mentality – Claiming that the Philippines is powerless against China and that asserting its rights will only lead to war; and 5. Blaming the Marcos Administration for tensions – Suggesting that tensions only escalated under the current government while ignoring years of Chinese expansionism.
Tarriela revealed that he became a victim of pro-China disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting him through fabricated allegations, including his past dismissal as a Philippine Military Academy cadet to attack his credibility, among other accusations.
“Fortunately, over the past two years, we have successfully achieved our objectives. Regarding the awareness of the Filipino people, a recent survey conducted by OCTA Research revealed that 84% of Filipinos support the national government’s efforts to defend and assert maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.
'Alyansa para sa Baong Pilipinas' senatorial bets, former Senate President Tito Sotto and Senator Francis Tolentino meanwhile expressed support for President Marcos' stance on the WPS.
During a presser for the administration-backed senate slate in Pasay City, Sotto called for the Philippines to establish its own maritime boundary line in the WPS, similar to China’s ten-dash line, to assert the country’s sovereignty over the disputed waters.
Senator Francis Tolentino expressed support for the Marcos administration's way of promoting diplomatic engagements on the ongoing tension in the contested waterways.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline “Tarriela at Tri Comm exposes pro-China vloggers’ role in WPS disinformation.”