AFP calls out 'old video' of Ayungin Shoal incident making rounds online

The footage of a Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and a Philippine Navy boat in an incident in Ayungin Shoal was an "old video" that took place in June last year, according to Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tarriela.

"I don’t know what’s the motivation of the Chinese Coast Guard kung bakit they have released this old video na nangyari na noong nakaraang taon pa. (This happened last year). I don’t know really what is the main objective of the Chinese Coast Guard, what they are highlighting,” Tarriela said in an interview. 

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) released a statement on Saturday warning about "disinformation" on operations at the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

"The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) issues a strong warning against the spread of fake news and deliberate disinformation concerning our operations in the West Philippine Sea," the AFP said in a statement. 

"We call out recent attempts to mislead the public by falsely labeling old or recycled footage as a “new” incident in Ayungin Shoal. These deceptive tactics are not only irresponsible — they aim to manipulate public perception, distort the truth, and weaken our shared resolve in asserting the nation’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction," added the AFP. 

GMA News Online has reached out to the Chinese Embassy regarding the matter but it has yet to reply as of posting time. 

EXPLAINER: What is the Ayungin Shoal and why is it important?

The Ayungin Shoal — called Ren’ai Reef by China — is a submerged reef in the Spratly Islands, which is a group of more than 100 islands and reefs in the South China Sea.

It is located 105 nautical miles west of Palawan and is within the country’s 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and is part of its continental shelf. A country has rights over the economic resources of the sea, seabed, and subsoil to the exclusion of other states within its EEZ.

China has claimed ownership of almost the entire South China Sea, which includes parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

China, Taiwan, and Vietnam are claiming all the Spratly Islands, including Ayungin, while Malaysia and the Philippines are claiming portions of the Spratlys.

The decision of an international arbitration tribunal in Hague in 2016, which stated that China’s claims over the Philippines and the South China Sea had “no legal basis,” has remained unrecognized. —VAL, GMA Integrated News