MANILA — The Department of National Defense on Wednesday said it is taking steps to counter what it called false narratives that Chinese information operators are spreading about the South China Sea dispute.

In a public briefing, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the government is "not alarmed" and that this was an expected tactic.

"Disinformation and information operators is in the playbook of China. We are countering the narratives by information operations such as this — me explaining to our countrymen why they should not believe in China's narratives," said Teodoro.

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"The favorite Chinese narrative is this is all a play by the United States and we are just marionettes, puppets, or tuta ng mga Amerikano na sumusunod sa playbook nila," he added.

These accusations and misinformation from China is insulting to Filipinos, he said, because "it assumes we do not have ability to think for ourselves and stand up for our own rights."

The defense chief also said that swarming and other illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea are part of China's plans to occupy the whole South China Sea.

The Philippines, meanwhile, is just defending its right under international law, he added.

"This is an affront to our territorial integrity and is a ridiculous assertion of international law or revision of international law to suit their expansionist ends," he said.

"They are also planting disinformation in the country in order to weaken the political will and unity of this country. Kaya kailangan nagkakaisa tayo dito. Huwag tayo maniniwala sa disinformation ng China," he said.

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According to a US State Department study, China is spending billions of dollars globally to spread disinformation and threatening to cause a "sharp contraction" in freedom of speech around the world.

The National Security Council, meanwhile, said it is monitoring some influencers and groups who it perceives as tending to echo China's sentiments on the West Philippine Sea.

NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya first talked about these groups in an interview with the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, where he said there might be a Chinese information operation in the country.

He also noted how these people share videos from the China, despite the existence of videos and accounts from members of the media who were onboard the BRP Cabra.

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