A YouTube channel with a history of spreading military-related disinformation uploaded a video claiming to show the Philippines’ first-ever nuclear submarine. This is false. The Spanish Navy owns the submarine in the clip.
Posted on July 9, the video’s headline read:
“PILIPINAS NUCLEAR SUBMARINE SINUBUKAN SA PALAWAN (PHILIPPINES NUCLEAR SUBMARINE TESTED IN PALAWAN)! WEST PHILIPPINE SEA 1BREAKING NEWS VINES VIRAL.”
Its thumbnail featured a half-submerged submarine with a Philippine flag, a breaking news label and a text with the same claim. The video showing the submarine emerging from the waters carried text saying the vessel is “hidden from the public to prevent rumors”.
This is not true. The Philippines has no submarine, though it has plans to acquire one. The submarine in the video is the Spanish Navy’s S-81 Isaac Peral sailing in the waters near Cartagena, Spain.
On July 7, Navantia, the state-owned Spanish company that manufactures S-80 Plus-class submarines, uploaded the video on YouTube. The clips were cropped and used in the false post.
Note: Click on the photo to view its original source
The S-81 submarine, launched in Cartagena in 2021, had its first static dive test on May 31 as scheduled by Navantia, the Spanish Navy, and the Spanish Ministry of Defence.
Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Miguel Delgado previously said that they officially invited Philippine Navy representatives to visit Navantia’s facility and look into their submarines.
On May 26, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos said that there is a plan for submarine acquisition and that different countries are offering to provide such vessels and build them in the country.
The erroneous video was uploaded four days after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported that Chinese Coast Guard vessels “constantly followed, harassed and obstructed” them from entering Ayungin Shoal in Palawan on June 30 when they assisted the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Western Command in a naval operation.
YouTube channel Ella Vloggs, with its 305,000 subscribers, uploaded the false video that has 4,095 views as of writing. Some netizens also shared the link on Facebook.
VERA Files Fact Check has flagged numerous posts from this channel for providing wrong and misleading context in its videos. (Read Video DOES NOT show an ‘attack drone made in the Philippines’)
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(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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