The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday deplored the dissemination of a YouTube video claiming a naval standoff between Philippine and Malaysian forces.
The 12-minute clip, which heavily uses AI-generated footage, falsely portrays a confrontation over territorial claims in Sabah and the South China Sea, the AFP said in a statement.
“This is entirely fabricated—no such incident occurred,” the AFP said.
“It intends to strain our 60-year diplomatic ties with Malaysia, erode public trust in the AFP, and provoke unnecessary tensions,” it added.
Currently, Malaysia is the chair of Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and the Philippines will assume the chairmanship next year.
Asean member states and China are currently engaged in negotiations on a proposed Code of Conduct in the South China Sea which commenced in March 2018.
Aside from the Philippines and Malaysia, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam are also claimants to the Spratly Islands inside the South China Sea, which China is claiming almost entirely.
The AFP pointed out that the Philippine Navy’s BRP Antonio Luna (FF151) will take part in the ASEAN Multilateral Naval Exercise (AMNEX) 2025 and the Malaysia-Philippines-Australia Trilateral Maritime Training Activity (MALPHILAUT) 2025. The ships set sail following a virtual pre-departure briefing spearheaded by the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
