The battle over the West Philippine Sea has escalated with the rise of fake news. Alongside reaffirming our territorial claims, the Philippine government is now combatting misinformation spread by pro-Chinese propagandas.
According to Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on West Philippine Sea matters, it’s disheartening to see some fellow Filipinos involved in spreading fake news.
But what motivates them? Possibly financial gain suggests Tarriela. Someone might be funding these efforts to distort the truth. One notable piece of misinformation is the claim that our resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal provoke China.
Undersecretary Jose Torres Jr., Director General of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA), condemns these trolls as “traitors to their country.” To counter their narrative, a more robust communication strategy is promised by Tarriela, aiming to expose illegal activities of the Chinese coast guard and militia vessels in our exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
Partnering with PIA and other agencies, the PCG is conducting capacity-building activities for public communicators, especially at grassroots levels, to educate on the WPS issue.
Tarriela dismisses the misconception that China’s aggression is due to our deepening relations with the US.
Director General Jose Torres Jr. also commits to utilizing conferences and fun runs among other events to tackle the concerning dissemination of misinformation about the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue.
The collaboration between PCG, PIA, National Security Council, Department of Justice, and Bagong Pilipinas is currently arranging strategic communications planning workshops in the Visayas, Palawan, and Manila regions.
In the face of this online misinformation onslaught, how can we ensure the truth prevails?
via PNA
