West PH Sea experts slam China’s ‘propaganda’ stunt loved by ‘DDS’

MANILA, Philippines — West Philippine Sea advocates and observers on Saturday warned against China’s “propaganda” stunt involving a distraught Filipino fisherman, which, they said, could either be a move to sanitize its image or a shift in its tactics.

Rafaela David, lead convenor of a group that led a number of civilian missions to the West Philippine Sea, dismissed China’s move as a distraction amid bad international press stemming from its years of aggression.

“Let’s not be fooled by China’s propaganda,” David, also the Akbayan party president, said in a statement. “What China did was not humanitarianism, it is image management, it is propaganda-driven assistance.”

A retired Philippine Navy rear admiral and a professor at the Ateneo School of Government made the same observation.

“The recent incident is obviously propaganda to create the narrative that China is a benign and friendly neighbor,” said Rommel Jude Ong in a message to Inquirer.

Amplified by ‘DDS’

Ong also said this move was done possibly to “make VP Sara Duterte a more palatable alternative to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. either for 2028 or in case another revgov (revolutionary government) scenario takes off in 2026.”

A Facebook post of the Chinese embassy in Manila about the humanitarian action gained traction — garnering over 9,000 likes and 10,000 shares as of Saturday — partly because it was amplified by personalities supportive of former President Rodrigo Duterte (colloquially called Duterte Diehard Supporters or DDS), who pivoted to Beijing during his term.

According to the embassy’s post on Friday, a People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) warship gave food and water to Larry Tumalis, whom they claimed had been stranded for three days off the western coast of Zambales.

The embassy’s timeline was disputed by Commodore Jay Tarriela, Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, who said Tumalis’ boat was safely anchored before it was found by its mother boat FBCA Gavin and personnel of BRP Cape San Agustin in less than 24 hours.

READ: PCG dismisses China warship aid to ‘frightened’ Zambales fisher

Nevertheless, Tarriela thanked the PLA-N warship for “providing a bottle of water and three packs of biscuits” to Tumalis.

“China should stop pretending that a bottle of water and a pack of snacks can wipe away years of harassment,” David added, noting that the incident occurred around two weeks after the China Coast Guard (CCG) showed aggression against fisherfolk in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal. 

Three Filipino fisherfolk were injured when CCG forces fired water cannons to drive them away from the shoal on Dec. 12, according to PCG.

Change of tack?

Beijing claims sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, despite an international arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims in 2016. 

Experts said it remains to be seen if the recent non-hostile encounter between Chinese forces and Filipino civilians would become the norm in the West Philippine Sea.

“The real challenge for them is their consistency of empathy; otherwise, this is just an episodic gesture from their end,” Chester Cabalza, president of the Manila-based think tank International Development and Security Cooperation, said in a message to the Inquirer.

Ong and Cabalza also noted that the move came as Beijing installed its new ambassador in Manila. 

“We might be seeing a nuanced shift in their tactics at sea,” Ong said. “[They] timed it with the installation of a new ambassador in Manila; this would provide a fresh start to allow a recalibration of bilateral relations.”

Cabalza said the incident came at an opportune time as the Philippines is set to assume the chairmanship of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) in 2026, when the country is expected to push a South China Sea code of conduct.

As early as 1992, the Asean bloc had called for a maritime code of conduct with China, which would pave the way for the peaceful resolution of overlapping territorial disputes in the region.

“Let us see the pattern next year, if Beijing is true enough to its act of benevolence this season,” Cabalza said. /das