The Philippines says a video circulating on YouTube depicting a supposed naval standoff between Philippine and Malaysian forces is “disinformation” aimed at provoking unnecessary tensions between the two Asean nations.
The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) also said the video was an attempt to strain the country’s 60-year diplomatic ties with Malaysia and erode public trust in the AFP.
“This is entirely fabricated – no such incident occurred,” it said in a statement.
“Such disinformation threatens peace and stability in the region, serving only political or strategic agendas.
“The AFP stands firm in its commitment to transparency, truth, and the protection of our national interests. The truth is our strongest defence.”
The 12-minute video depicts a standoff between the naval forces of the two countries over conflicting territorial claims.
While both Malaysia and the Philippines have overlapping maritime claims in the South China Sea, their dispute is less severe compared to their tensions with China
Last November, deputy foreign minister Mohamad Alamin confirmed that Malaysia had sent a note of protest to the Philippines regarding its two new maritime laws which infringe on Sabah’s maritime borders.
The Philippine Maritime Zones Act and the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act, signed by president Ferdinand Marcos Jr on Nov 8 last year, were reported to have infringed on Malaysia’s 1979 map, which was established based on international law.
According to international media reports, these two new Philippine maritime laws were seen as efforts to strengthen Manila’s claims over the South China Sea, which remains a subject of ongoing disputes.
