The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has attributed the circulation of a fabricated letter supposedly signed by Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. to what it described as an alleged influence operation linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The letter, addressed to a person identified as "Peter Enzminger", purportedly contained claims that the Department of National Defense (DND) and the United States were coordinating efforts to advance US interests in the West Philippine Sea, including an operation at Ayungin Shoal.
The DND has categorically denied the authenticity of the document. DND spokesperson Assistant Secretary Arsenio Andolong said the letter and its contents were “obviously and absolutely false and fake,” adding that the matter had been referred to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for investigation.
AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the circulation of the document could create divisions among Filipinos, damage the reputation of officials defending the country’s maritime interests, and affect public perceptions of the Philippines-US alliance.
"At nag-away ang Pilipino at nasira ang reputasyon ng ating SND at na-discredit ang alliance with the US. Kaninong interest ang ma-advance nito? Yung interest ng Chinese Communist Party,” Trinidad said.
He added that while the military does not apply the same evidentiary standard used in law enforcement, the indicators available to the AFP point to what he described as a CCP-linked move.
"Sa military, we look at indicators and indicators will point na ito ay galaw ng Chinese Communist Party,” Trinidad said.
The DND said the incident is another example of what it called foreign interference and malign influence intended to discredit the Philippine government's efforts to assert its sovereignty and territorial integrity.
