Rear Admiral Jay Tarriela, spokesperson of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) for the West Philippine Sea, rejected Senator Robin Padilla's claim that the government's transparency campaign in the area constitutes 'wartime propaganda.

' Tarriela clarified that the initiative aims to document Chinese aggression and harassment against Filipino fishermen and PCG vessels, emphasizing that the PCG merely records incidents rather than creating them.The exchange followed the release of an AI-generated video by China Daily, which depicted Filipinos as monkeys and mocked the 2016 arbitral award.Tarriela criticized Padilla's remarks, calling them an insult to Filipinos and highlighting that the video was created by the Chinese government.He also reiterated his stance against portraying Filipinos as monkeys, stressing the importance of defending the nation's dignity.Meanwhile, Philippine officials and lawmakers condemned the video, with the Department of Foreign Affairs lodging a diplomatic protest.National Security Adviser Eduardo Oban Jr.and Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr.also denounced the video, while lawmakers called for an apology from Beijing.The incident underscores ongoing tensions between the Philippines and China over territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.