CALAMBA CITY, Laguna – Clashes between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes are not only taking place in the seas and the courts of law but also in the information arena.
Thus, the Philippine government is resolutely engaging China in the propaganda battle as it asserts its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and combats disinformation being fed across various media platforms.
In a recent interview with the Philippine Information Agency’s “Sulong Calabarzon” program, the Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy Planning and Regulations Atty. Asis Perez talked about the physical and informational aspects of the dispute by ensuring that public discourse is factual, accurate, and truthful.
“Be critical and only take information that comes from official sources that are credible and reliable. It is also important for citizens to show support for the government initiatives to fight for our own through social media and other platforms,” Perez said.
Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Policy Planning and Regulations Atty. Asis Perez addressed the West Philippine Sea’s physical and informational aspects. The country aims to protect its sovereignty and ensure that public discourse is factual, accurate, and based on reliable information.
Through the government’s transparency initiative, narratives tackling and directly addressing false information about the WPS issue have gained considerable presence across social media platforms.
Corrective communication formats include official statements, infographics, and videos that provide clear and accurate information about the country’s territorial claims and activities in the West Philippine Sea.
Perez then called on every Filipino to take part in the government’s efforts to assert the country’s rights in the WPS, saying, “Everybody should participate in all our efforts so that we can strengthen our unity as a sovereign race. It is important here that the whole world understands that it is not only the Philippines that is affected but the whole world. That is why the effort to prevent any escalation of tension in the disputed sea should become the responsibility of everybody.”
Perez, who once served as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) chief, said that the rule of law must prevail and the country should continue to maintain the assertion of rights in the proclaimed Philippine waters.
“Almost all countries that believe in the rule of law show their support for us; there should not be tension, and it should not escalate, but that does not mean that we will not fight for what is rightfully ours.”
On July 12, the Philippines marked the 8th anniversary of its landmark victory against China at the Hague-based International Arbitration Tribunal. The ruling, issued in 2016, favored Manila and invalidated China’s expansive claims over the South China Sea, saying that these claims had “no legal basis.” (AM, JL/PIA-4A).
