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Michael Punongbayan - The Philippine Star
December 19, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of National Defense (DND) lashed out at China yesterday for again trying to spread lies to justify how its forces attacked and injured Filipino fishermen in the West Philippine Sea last week.
Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong branded China as an “abusive neighbor” who keeps distorting the facts and the truth that the Chinese are illegally operating inside the country’s exclusive economic zone.
“What truly threatens peace is the persistent, unsafe behavior that endangers civilians and demonize any form of resistance against an abusive neighbor,” the DND spokesman said.
Andolong noted that on Dec. 12 in waters near Escoda Shoal, “Filipino fishermen were injured, their boats damaged, and their safety deliberately endangered by water cannons, blocking maneuvers, and the cutting of anchor lines.”
“The facts are not distorted. They are documented, time-stamped, and corroborated by video recordings, vessel logs, and on-site reporting by the Philippine Coast Guard,” he stressed.
“The Philippines is not hyping the issue, the facts speak for themselves. These are aggressive, excessive, and dangerous actions of an encroaching state,” he said.
Andolong said China’s own Coast Guard publicly admitted implementing “control measures,” which “confirms their interference with civilian fishing boats and Philippine Coast Guard vessels providing aid to injured civilians.”
“No amount of rhetorical reframing changes the reality that ordinary fishermen were harmed while fishing lawfully within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone, and that the Chinese Coast Guard deliberately disrupted our humanitarian efforts,” he said.
Andolong said the Philippines “rejects the erroneous notion that reckless conduct at sea constitutes ‘effective measures.’ Using water cannons, cutting anchor lines, and obstructing humanitarian assistance are actions that place lives at risk and violate basic maritime safety norms. They do not safeguard stability. They undermine it.”
He declared that the Philippines “will continue to protect its people, uphold international law, and assert its rights calmly, professionally, and transparently.”
“We will not be intimidated from benefiting from our resources by China’s constant bullying, prevarication, or so-called effective measures,” he said.
China has even accused Filipino fishermen of wielding knives and allegedly threatening its coast guard forces during the incident.
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro earlier said “the attempt by the spokesperson of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to justify these actions by invoking ‘indisputable sovereignty’ and peddling blatant lies like ‘knife-wielding’ fishermen are not supported by facts and evidence.”
Philippines, Japan strengthen ties
Meanwhile, the military chiefs of the Philippines and Japan are working on further strengthening bilateral relations through more joint initiatives and activities in the coming months.
Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. and Japan Self-Defense Force (JSDF) chief Gen. Hiroaki Uchikura discussed such efforts in a virtual meeting on Wednesday.
During the engagement, both officials reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral defense cooperation between the military forces of the two nations.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said Brawner and Uchikura exchanged views on regional security developments and explored opportunities to further enhance cooperation between the AFP and JSDF.
Brawner expressed the AFP’s appreciation for Japan’s continued support and underscored the importance of sustained engagement with like-minded partners in promoting regional peace and stability.
Trinidad said “the virtual meeting underscored the strategic partnership between the Philippines and Japan, reflecting a shared commitment to maintaining regional stability and advancing defense cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region founded on mutual respect, shared values, and adherence to international law.”
