Blogger Mark Lopez falsely claimed during a House tri-committee hearing that the Philippines “also uses water cannons” in defending its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).
STATEMENT
In a March 21 public hearing on “fake news” and disinformation, Deputy Speaker David Suarez asked Lopez how he feels when China water bombs Filipino fishers and rams Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
A video of the exchange from the official live stream of the House of Representatives was uploaded on social media by an attendee where Lopez said it is “painful” for him, but he added:
“Pero ‘yun po ang nature ng base sa South China Sea, eh. Tayo rin po, nagwa-water cannon, Mr. Chair.”
(But that is the nature of bases in the South China Sea. We also use water cannon, Mr. Chair.)
Source: JDB Facebook page, MARK LOPEZ: “TAYO DIN NAG WATER CANNON”, March 21, 2025, watch from 6:51 to 7:14
When called out by lawmakers, Lopez explained that he meant to say the Philippines could use water cannons in the South China Sea. He said:
“Mr. Chair, sige po mag-a-apologize po ako. Mali po ako, sige po, fake news po ako. Ang sinasabi ko lang po pwede ang water cannon sa South China Sea issue.”
(Mr. Chair, okay, I apologize. I am wrong, okay, I am [a] fake news [peddler]. What I’m just saying is water cannon can be used in the South China Sea issue.)
Source: House of Representatives, COMMITTEES ON PUBLIC ORDER & SAFETY, INFO & COMM TECH & PUBLIC INFO (MARCH 21, 2025), March 21, 2025, watch from 4:52:53 to 4:53:04
FACT
Despite repeated instances of China water bombing and ramming Philippine vessels in the WPS, the Philippine government refuses to follow the aggressive actions of the China Coast Guard (CCG).
When asked in May last year if he would approve proposals to equip Philippine vessels with water cannons, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the job of the Philippine Navy and PCG is to lower tension in the disputed waters, not follow CCG’s example.
“What we are doing is defending our sovereign rights and our sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea. And we have no intention of attacking anyone with water cannons or any other such offensive…I would have to call them weapon dahil nakaka-damage na (because it’s already damaging),” Marcos said in an interview in May 2024.
“All we do is pagka nangyayari wina-water cannon ‘yung mga barko natin ay nagpapadala tayo ng démarche, nagpapadala tayo ng sulat sa China and the other stakeholders,” he added.
(What we do is if our vessels are being water cannoned, we send a démarche, a letter to China and other stakeholders.)
A démarche is a diplomatic petition or protest filed against a country. According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Philippines filed 198 diplomatic protests against China from July 2022 to December 2024.
In a 2023 press briefing, PCG spokesperson Jay Tarriela said that vessels acquired by the country from Japan are equipped with water cannons, but PCG has no plans to use them against China.
“[W]e’re not going to use that to drive away the China Coast Guard. We intend to use that in firefighting whenever there is a maritime accident at sea,” he explained.
