Manila: A ranking National Security Council (NSC) official on Monday told China and its maritime forces to stop actions that would escalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) following Chinese claims over the weekend that it had seized one of the Pag-asa Island cays. NSC Assistant Director General Jonathan Malaya stated there is no truth to the claim of the China Coast Guard (CCG) that the Pag-asa cays were seized.

According to Philippines News Agency, Malaya emphasized that "the facts on the ground do not support this statement coming from the CCG, therefore, we urge the People's Republic of China (PRC) and the CCG to act with restraint and not increase tensions in the WPS." The National Task Force-West Philippine Sea confirmed that the Philippines asserted its sovereignty over Pag-asa Cays 1, 2, 3, and its surrounding waters through an inter-agency maritime operation on Sunday morning.

"This coordinated effort involved the Philippine Navy, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, reinforcing Philippine authorities' routine and lawful exercise of maritime domain awareness and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea," the agency reported. Malaya reminded China of its commitment in the 2002 Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, urging them to maintain the status quo in the WPS in accordance with the declaration.

He further urged China to stop all provocative activities in the WPS, uphold international law, and help reduce tensions. Malaya stressed that such activities will not benefit any nation and pointed out that China's false claims are part of its efforts to dominate the "information space," which is a strategic battleground.

Meanwhile, Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the WPS, Commodore Jay Tarriela, stated that China's claim of seizing and occupying the Pag-asa Cays is part of a misinformation strategy. He highlighted the importance of countering false narratives to prevent China from operationalizing its claims and normalizing misinformation to the international community. Tarriela noted that despite China's previous attempts to assert control, continued efforts to debunk misinformation have prevented them from operationalizing their claims.