A video posted by a YouTube channel claims that Philippine and Malaysian naval vessels were recently involved in a tense standoff near Sabah. This is fake.
There are no credible reports confirming that such an incident took place. Both countries have said the claim is fabricated.
Published on Aug. 12, the 12-minute 51-second video opened with a narration describing the supposed incident. It alleged that Philippine Navy vessel BRP Magat Salamat approached fishing boats in the Sulu Sea, prompting the Malaysian patrol ship KD Pahang to issue a loud warning ordering the Philippine vessel to leave.
The video further claimed that the tension escalated when the Filipino ship refused to retreat. An anonymous speaker stated:
“For hours, the two warships floated just hundreds of meters apart. Their guns uncovered and crews at battle stations, every sailor tense and alert. The silence was heavy, broken only by the sound of the sea and the occasional crackle of radio static.”
“One wrong move, one misunderstood signal could spark a conflict with consequences far beyond these waters. This was August 11th, 2025.”
The narrator claimed that the incident ended without violence after negotiations and back-channel communications.
In a statement posted on Facebook last Aug.12, the Armed Forces of the Philippines debunked the claim and labelled it as “fake.” It said:
“This is entirely fabricated—no such incident occurred. It intends to strain our 60-year diplomatic ties with Malaysia, erode public trust in the AFP, and provoke unnecessary tensions.”
The AFP added that such disinformation threatened peace and stability in the region and served only political or strategic agendas.
On Aug. 14, the Royal Malaysian Navy, the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces, also dismissed the claim as false and noted that “no incident as depicted in the video took place.”
Adding to its dubiousness, the YouTube video also used no actual footage of the “standoff” and instead featured a compilation of AI-generated clips, stock imagery, footage of animals, and flashes of unrelated news reports about sports.
In the description box, the channel disclosed that its video contained “altered or synthetic content” and that it “was created with the assistance of artificial intelligence combined with human research, analysis, and editorial oversight to ensure accuracy, depth, and clarity.”
Posted by YouTube channel INFO SPARK HUB (created June 13), the fake video has garnered 2,400 views and 77 comments, and 15 likes.
