The idea that there may be an “informant” providing China with information on Philippine resupply missions to Ayungin Shoal and other areas in the West Philippine Sea could be Chinese propaganda, the Armed Forces said.
In Chino Gaston and Ian Cruz’s report on “24 Oras” on Monday, Armed Forces chief General Romeo Brawner, Jr. said that the AFP is investigating the possibility, but that it could also just be disinformation coming from China.
“[P]ropaganda lang ng Tsina ‘yon because in the last resupply hindi naman nila alam kung ano ‘yung laman,” he said.
Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the WPS Commodore Jay Tarriela earlier said that the Chinese government appears to have advanced knowledge of the resupply missions, and floated the possibility of informants.
Chinese coast guard and militia vessels hit Philippine boats with water from a cannon and performed dangerous maneuvers against them during a resupply mission to the BRP Sierra Madre off Ayungin Shoal on August 5.
The Chinese vessels again performed “dangerous maneuvers” against Philippine vessels in a follow-up resupply mission days later.
Over the weekend a Chinese vessel “shadowed” the BRP Laguna on a resupply mission to Ayungin and to Pag-asa Island.
“It is our right, it is our obligation to bring supplies to our soldiers sa mga isla natin sa mga ibat ibang features that we are occupying,” said Brawner, adding that there is no “special arrangement” with China to do so.
“Hindi tayo nagpapaalam at hindi tayo kailangang magpaalam sa China para mag resupply,” he said. — BM, GMA Integrated News
