The House probe tackles fake news circulating on social media claiming that Palawan was once owned and governed by China.
During a House tri-committee hearing, lawmakers addressed the spread of misleading posts by vloggers and social media influencers asserting that Palawan was not originally part of the Philippines.
1-Rider Party-list Rep. Rodge Gutierrez warned that many people believe these “blatant and false statements.”
He added that some of these posts were deliberately crafted to mislead the public, with others even using Chinese characters to reinforce the false claim.
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Commodore Jay Tarriela stated that this is the first time he has encountered such a narrative from China, linking it to the country’s aggressive actions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) and online disinformation efforts.
Tarriela described the claim as a new form of propaganda aimed at undermining Philippine sovereignty.
He also confirmed that a WPS transparency group is actively monitoring social media platforms for misinformation.
According to Tarriela, combating disinformation is now a growing part of the PCG’s mission as false narratives continue to spread across social media.