Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson Commodore Jay Tristan Tarriela answering questions from the media (Dexter Barro II/MANILA BULLETIN)

Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela has blamed the "misconceptions" the previous Duterte administration for what he described to congressmen as the "false sense of security" among the Filipinos when it comes to the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Tarriela, the PCG spokesperson for the WPS, made this manifestation on Tuesday, Feb. 18 during the House tri-committee's (tri-comm) second hearing on the proliferation of fake news and disinformation online. 

"It is important to note that one of the greatest challenges facing the Philippine government in the [WPS], aside from China’s bullying, unlawful activities, and aggressive actions, is combating the spread of fake news and disinformation that obscures the true narrative of events in the [WPS], leading to confusion and division among our people," he said in a prepared speech before the solons.

"When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. took office in 2022 and declared that he would not surrender an inch of our territory to any foreign power, many questioned the meaning behind his words, especially since the previous administration claimed that all was peaceful and under control in the [WPS]," Tarriela said.

"This misconception stemmed from the belief that the prior administration had effectively managed the situation," he said. Apparently, this was far from the true situation. 

"Between 2016 and 2022, only three incidents were reported in the media: the first in 2017 when Filipino fishermen reported their boat, FB Gimver, being rammed by the Chinese maritime militia; the second in 2019 when an AFP-chartered resupply boat was hit by water cannons; and the last in 2021 when over 200 Chinese vessels were reported by the [PCG] swarming near Julian Felipe," Tarriela said, referring to the years that former president Rodrigo Duterte was in power in Malacañang. 

"The limited reporting of these incidents, combined with the narrative that the former president’s diplomatic efforts had successfully convinced Xi Jinping to allow our fishermen to operate freely, contributed to the false sense of security among the Filipino people regarding the [WPS]," the PCG official said.

It was with this realization that Tarriela fully understood the context of the Chief Executive's battlecry. 

"Thus, for President Marcos to deliver his commitment of not surrendering asquare inch of our territory to any foreing power, he has to unite the filipino people and the only way that we can unite our highly polarized country is to awaken their sense of patriotism," he said.

President Marcos is the direct predecessor of ex-president Rodrigo Duterte. 

Tarriela praised the House of Representatives led by Speaker Martin Romualdez for launching the inquiry against fake news peddling.

"I was genuinely pleased to learn about the House of Representatives' decision to hold a public hearing addressing fake news, disinformation, and misinformation on social media. I believe this presents an opportunity for us to finally establish legislation that holds trolls, influencers, and bloggers accountable for their online content." he said.

Pro-China vloggers' strategy

Tarriela claimed that pro-China vloggers had been actively working to distort the truth and weaken the country’s position in the WPS. Their disinformation efforts follow a pattern of five key arguments:

 1. Challenging the Philippines’ legal standing – Undermining the July 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 United States (US) puppet – Framing transparency efforts as dictated by the US 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.

 5. Blaming the Marcos administration for tensions – Suggesting that tensions only escalated under the current government while ignoring years of Chinese expansionism.

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He said the tactics seek to divide the public, create doubt, and weaken national resolve in defending the country’s maritime rights. Beyond spreading false narratives, pro-China vloggers also engage in personal attacks against individuals who challenge China’s aggression.

“When we launched our transparency initiative aimed at exposing Chinese aggression in the West Philippine Sea, I was relatively unknown, having just returned from Tokyo after completing my PhD. However, as we gained traction in the weeks following our launch, I became a target for these trolls who sought to tarnish my reputation,” Tarriela said. 

Tarriela revealed that he became a victim of pro-China disinformation campaigns aimed at discrediting him through fabricated allegations.

Despite the spread of pro-China disinformation, Tarriela said that public awareness has significantly improved, with surveys showing overwhelming support for the government’s efforts to defend the WPS.

“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 percent of Filipinos support the national government’s efforts to defend and assert maritime rights in the [WP],” he said.