Manuel Mogato | November 9, 2026
China is a master of deception.
It has been accusing the Philippines of stirring trouble in the disputed waters when the trouble was created by Beijing’s illegal, coercive, aggressive, and dangerous activities in the West Philippine Sea.
Consider this:
Is the Philippines claiming what is beyond its maritime zones?
Has the Philippines illegally occupied features outside its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ)?
Did the Philippine Coast Guard shadow, block, ram, and water-cannon a Chinese fishing boat within its maritime zones?
Did the Philippine Navy and Philippine Coast Guard prevent foreign fishermen from gathering marine products in areas considered artisan fishing grounds?
The responses to these questions are a resounding NO.
So, it’s clear the Philippines did not create the trouble in the West Philippine Sea.
But why is China complaining?
It’s reverse psychology. It’s simple gaslighting.
The truth is the Philippines’ transparency initiative has exposed China as a bully and irresponsible member of the community of nations.
It’s a big slap in the face.
Worse, no country has defended China nor supported its excessive nine-dash-line claim, repudiated by the 2016 arbitral ruling.
In contrast, dozens of independent countries have supported the Philippines, and five have signed agreements to strengthen its deterrence capabilities through training and exercises.
But this did not stop China from undermining the Philippines’ sovereign rights, stepping up its foreign information manipulation and interference to create chaos and confusion within the country.
Some paid supporters within the country, serving as a fifth column, parroted and amplified China’s narrative, casting doubts on the government’s unity and cohesion.
The real danger is that many perceived that the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) were not speaking with one voice on the issue.
As both departments assert their mandate, some people begin to think there’s disagreement within Ferdinand Marcos’ official family.
The approaches may be different. But the two departments firmly agree that the country’s sovereignty and national interests are non-negotiable.
The DFA puts great value on diplomacy, its core competency and mandate. The DND, on the other hand, maintains national security is paramount.
There should be no disagreement. Both approaches go hand-in-hand and complement each other.
In the past, the defense and military establishments defer to the foreign affairs department on issues concerning the West Philippine Sea.
But China’s cognitive attacks have intensified, forcing the defense and the uniformed services to fight back.
Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and Coast Guard Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela do not let China’s disinformation pass. They’re quick to rebut China’s FIMI operations. (Also read: Teodoro accuses China of “interference” in Philippine affairs)
In contrast, the DFA was too slow and too bureaucratic. Journalists covering the DFA agonized over the slow responses to queries or the release of official statements.
To be fair to DFA Secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro, the DFA has improved under her watch. Statements on the West Philippine Sea controversy were firm and forceful. However, there’s still room for improvement to match the defense department’s responsiveness.
The DFA must be more proactive and quicker in responding to journalists’ queries. After all, it has three spokespersons.
Will it shut up Secretary Teodoro and Rear Admiral Tarriela? Perhaps not, but they may defer more to the DFA on West Philippine Sea issues, which are rightfully within its mandate.
It could end the perception of disagreements within the administration and end China’s propaganda on disunity.