CEBU CITY, Philippines — The fight for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) isn’t just happening in the open waters anymore. It’s now being fought in the stories we tell, the posts we scroll through, and the truths — or lies — we choose to believe.
That was the message at a recent journalism workshop in Cebu City called “Uncovering the Depths: A Training on West Philippine Sea Reporting.” Organized by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), it brought together speakers who each shared a piece of the puzzle: how foreign powers are shaping what we think, how journalists can fight back with facts, and how ordinary Filipinos can make sense of it all.
The War Nobody Sees
Janina Santos, an analyst from Digital Intelligence Team of Doublethink Lab, began with a sobering message: the biggest threat to the Philippines might not be what’s happening at sea, but what’s happening online.
“The real battleground isn’t just in the water anymore,” Santos told a room full of Visayas-based journalists.
“It’s in what people believe, what they share, and who they choose to trust.”
She explained how China, through its United Front Work Department (UFWD), uses social media to push confusing or misleading stories. Some posts say that defending our territory could lead to war. Others say we’re just pawns of the U.S., or worse, that our public figures are puppets.
“It’s death by a thousand doubts,” she said. “Confuse enough people, and you paralyze public action.”
Santos added that these messages aren’t spreading by accident. They’re boosted by bots, fake accounts, and increasingly, AI — all designed to make lies louder than the truth.
Fighting Lies with Facts
That’s where Ellen Tordesillas comes in. She’s the president of VERA Files and has spent years teaching journalists how to fact-check.
“AI can help you search,” she said, “but it can’t replace human judgment — at least not yet.”
She reminded the group that not all false information is intentional. Some people share it simply because they don’t know better. That’s why she believes fact-checking is not just a job — it’s a public service.
“When journalism is weak, disinformation thrives,” she said. “In the fog of this narrative war, facts are our compass.”
She led a hands-on session where journalists fact-checked stories about places like Scarborough Shoal and Ayungin Shoal, and asked them to think about who their audience is, what platforms to use, and how to stay safe online.
On the Ground, At Sea — and Online
If Santos warned of the danger, and Tordesillas showed the tools to fight back, it was Redempto D. Anda, editor of Palawan News, who reminded everyone what’s really at stake.
“This isn’t just about foreign policy,” he said. “It’s about food. It’s about families. It’s about dignity.”
In his talk, “West Philippine Sea Reporting for Dummies: A fearless guide to journalistic reporting on the WPS issue,” Anda broke down the story in plain language.
He said the Philippines already won in 2016, when the Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled in our favor. That ruling struck down China’s nine-dash line and confirmed that the Philippines has full rights to fish, explore, and protect its Exclusive Economic Zone — including Scarborough Shoal and other areas China now patrols.
“We won through law, not through force,” Anda said. “But the challenge is: not everyone knows that. Or worse — not everyone believes it.”
Anda urged reporters to dive deeper into history. Old maps from Spanish times, even the 18th-century Carta Indigena Filipina, support our claim. And yet, many Filipinos have been led to doubt what’s rightfully ours.
Voices From the Frontline
One of the strongest voices pushing back against that doubt is Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). In recent interviews, he confirmed what Santos had warned — that disinformation around the WPS is getting worse.
“When we started the transparency initiative, we had around 1,000 trolls,” Tarriela said.
“Now, there are 10,000 social media accounts we’re monitoring that are working against our position in the West Philippine Sea.”
He said these weren’t just random people. The pattern and coordination of the posts suggest backing from a foreign state.
Despite the online attacks, the Coast Guard continues to publish real videos and photos from the sea. Tarriela calls this their “transparency strategy.”
“We document all of these bullying and aggressive actions and publicize this — for the Filipino people and the international community.”
For him, it’s not just about proof. It’s about protecting the truth.
“The best way to respond to China’s gray zone tactics is to expose them,” he said. “We want people to weigh the facts — not the propaganda.”
Even under pressure — like being harassed by Chinese ships or blocked from fishing grounds — the PCG keeps calm.
“We deal with them professionally,” Tarriela added. “We won’t be provoked. That’s how we win — by showing the truth.”
The Collision They Tried to Bury
It happened in broad daylight, right at Scarborough Shoal — and in full view of the world.
On August 11, as the BRP Suluan escorted Filipino fishing boats within the country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, two Chinese vessels — a coast guard cutter and a navy destroyer — collided. Both had been aggressively maneuvering to block the Philippine boats.
A journalist on board, along with the Philippine Coast Guard, captured the entire incident on video — uncut and unfiltered. It showed exactly what happened: two much larger Chinese ships crashing into each other as they pursued a smaller, unarmed Filipino vessel.
It should have been a clear-cut case. But in today’s digital battleground, facts rarely go unchallenged.
Within hours, social media was flooded — not with outrage, but with denial. Anonymous accounts pushed out false narratives, calling the video fake, staged, or recycled. Some claimed it was footage from Ayungin Shoal; others dismissed it as Western propaganda. Hashtags in both English and Chinese appeared almost in sync, all pushing the same line: blame the Philippines.
Beijing never issued a statement. No acknowledgment. No explanation. Instead, its diplomats accused Manila of “provocative actions” — as if guiding Filipino fishermen in Philippine waters was somehow an act of aggression.
But the footage spoke for itself. The damage was real. And China’s silence was louder than any denial.
For Commodore Jay Tarriela and the Philippine Coast Guard, the disinformation wasn’t surprising. It’s become routine. But this time, the response triggered more than headlines — it sparked a deeper question: If something this visible can be twisted and buried, what else is being erased?
In the contested waters of the West Philippine Sea, truth isn’t just a journalist’s job. It’s a form of resistance — and national defense.
Why It All Matters
In the bigger picture, Anda said, this is not just about maps or diplomacy. It’s about the people who depend on the sea — the fisherfolk, the next generation, the everyday Filipino who wants to live in peace but not in fear.
“Millions of Filipinos rely on the West Philippine Sea for food, jobs, and energy,” he said. “When we allow lies to spread, we risk losing more than just territory. We lose our sense of self.”
He pointed to campaigns like “Atin Ito” that are helping spread awareness and ownership. Even small wins — like seeing “West Philippine Sea” on Google Maps — mean something. They tell the world: this is ours.
The Last Line of Defense
The training ended not with lectures, but with action. Journalists were asked to create their own stories, fact-checks, and social media plans. Some picked TikTok explainers. Others went for podcasts or features.
Each of them was challenged to answer three questions: Who benefits from this lie? Who gets hurt if we stay silent? And who will listen if we speak up?
As the workshop closed, Santos left the group with a final warning:
“If people stop believing we have a right to the West Philippine Sea, or that nothing we do matters, then we’ve already lost.”
Tordesillas added:
“You don’t need to be in Malacañang or Beijing to defend sovereignty. Sometimes, it starts with just correcting a lie.”
And Anda — the journalist who’s been covering this issue for decades — reminded the group why their work matters:
“The West Philippine Sea is not just a place on a map. It’s part of who we are. And telling the truth about it — that’s a fight worth showing up for.”
Because in this war for the West Philippine Sea, what we believe is just as important as what we claim.
– Special Report by Ricky Bautista, Samar Chronicle – 9/3/2025
[Editor’s Note: The author Ricky Bautista, is a Filipino journalist and editor of The Samar Chronicle. He covers local governance, health, the environment, politics, peace and conflict, and maritime affairs in Eastern Visayas. He recently attended an event “Uncovering the Depths: A Training on West Philippine Sea Reporting” held in Cebu City, organized by the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) in partnership with Internews under the Indo-Pacific Media Resilience (IPMR) project, which also supported the production of this story.]
