Philippine officials accuse Chinese agents of misleading report at Shangri-La Dialogue

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief General Romeo Brawner Jr. criticized what they described as a malicious and misleading report from individuals they believe were Chinese intelligence agents posing as journalists at a defense conference in Singapore.

Teodoro stated that during the Shangri-La Dialogue, he was asked if the Philippines is a proxy of the US, to which he replied 'no' and engaged in an argument with them, asserting that the Philippines is not a proxy and questioning China's territorial claims.

Brawner noted that he did not respond to any questions from these supposed journalists as they were trailing him outside formal sessions, later releasing a manipulated story on WeChat.

The AFP shared a video showing Teodoro's response and warned that such individuals are not genuine journalists but intelligence agents seeking to mislead.

In a social media post, the AFP accused the so-called journalists of violating protocol by capturing selective footage and twisting it into a misleading narrative titled 'Philippine military chief dodges questions.'

China asserts control over nearly the entire South China Sea despite overlapping claims from several Southeast Asian nations, including the Philippines, dismissing the 2016 international ruling that concluded its nine-dash line claim to the West Philippine Sea lacks any legal foundation.

The AFP reaffirmed its commitment to truth and professionalism in defending the Philippines against foreign propaganda.