Update: Philnews.ph has revised its headline and publishing date to reflect the correction on April 23.
A day after the People’s Republic of China announced it created two “municipal districts” in disputed territories in the South China Sea, a website passed off as new an outdated article where Malacañang conceded that China controls the West Philippine Sea. The government has yet to issue any statement on Beijing’s latest move.
On March 25, 2019, or more than a year ago, Philnews.ph published “JUST IN: Malacañang Admits West Philippine Sea Controlled By China.” The write-up was heavily based on an Inquirer.net report earlier that day headlined “Palace admits China controls West PH Sea.” This followed the release of a video where Filipino fisherfolk spoke about being harassed by the Chinese in Scarborough Shoal.
Last April 18, China’s Ministry of Civil Affairs released a statement on its two “new districts” and shortly after, Philnews.ph’s year-old article made the rounds again on Facebook (FB), with the publishing date misleadingly changed to April 19, 2020. The website, which has a history spreading disinformation online, did not update its write-up and still used the phrases “Just In” and “Breaking News.”
Malacañang and the Foreign Affairs Department have kept mum about the formation of the “Xisha District” on Paracel Islands and “Nansha District” on the Spratly Island Group. China has stationed the “People’s Government of Nansha District” at the Kagitingan Reef which is part of the Philippines’ Kalayaan Island Group in the Spratlys.
Vietnam, one of several countries with territorial claims in the Paracel Islands, has lodged a formal protest against the establishment of the new districts. Retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario have also urged the Duterte administration to file a diplomatic protest against China’s two new districts in the disputed waters.
Philnews.ph’s article has been reposted more than 60 times on social media since its original publishing in 2019. It has gained over 114,000 interactions on FB and could have reached almost two million netizens. FB page Philippine Trending News – PhilNews and FB public groups SEN TRILLANES POWER and THE RESISTANCE – FILIPINO DISSENTING VOICES AGAINST DUTERTE REGIME are its top traffic generators after it resurfaced four days ago.
Philnews.ph has been posting stories since December 2010.
(Editor’s Note: As of April 22, Foreign Affairs Sec. Teddyboy Locsin said the Philippines has lodged a diplomatic complaint with the Chinese embassy for “declaring parts of Philippine territory as part of Hainan province,” saying it is a violation of international law and Philippine sovereignty. This update comes as VERA Files Fact Check issued a note on April 24 at the beginning of this story about Philnews.ph correcting its story.)
(Editor’s Note: VERA Files has partnered with Facebook to fight the spread of disinformation. Find out more about this partnership and our methodology.)
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