AFP chief: China audio clip likely ‘deepfake’

Romeo Brawner Jr.
—PHOTO FROMAFP FB PAGE

The chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines has said that Beijing may be using “deepfake” audio recording to fabricate proof of an alleged “new model” arrangement between a Chinese diplomat and the head of the AFP Western Command (Wescom) on managing the tension at Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal.

In a statement late Wednesday, Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the AFP would “not dignify” claims by the Chinese Embassy in Manila that Wescom chief Vice Adm. Alberto Carlos accepted the purported arrangement, which included disallowing delivery of construction materials to the BRP Sierra Madre, the military’s crumbling outpost at Ayungin.

The Chinese Embassy said the recording was made during a phone conversation between Carlos and a Chinese diplomat on Jan. 3.

The Inquirer has not heard the recording and could not verify the identity of the persons who were speaking.

‘Easily fabricated’

Carlos, who went on personal leave last week, could not be reached for comment.

China said it may soon release the audio recording.

But Brawner said the threatened public release of the recording “does not merit significant concern as it appears to be a malign influence effort from the Chinese Communist Party.”

“Transcripts can easily be fabricated, and audio recordings can be manufactured by using deepfakes,” he said, referring to audios or images altered or manipulated digitally to convincingly show people saying or doing something that they did not say or do.

DFA hits Sino envoys

“These reports,” Brawner said, “only aim to serve as a distraction from the China Coast Guard’s ongoing aggressive behavior in the West Philippine Sea.”

China’s coast guard, assisted by its maritime militias, have increasingly intensified their efforts to block the resupply and troop rotation of the Sierra Madre. They have used powerful water cannons that had damaged Philippine vessels and wounded several Filipino sailors.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) accused Chinese diplomats of trying to create divisions among Filipinos with its latest claim.

It warned against “falling for false narratives” and reminded the Chinese Embassy to respect its host country’s laws and internal affairs.

“Resorting to tactics, such as releasing unverifiable recordings of supposed conversations with Philippine officials, could demonstrate efforts to sow discord and confusion among Philippine agencies and the Filipino public,” the DFA said in a statement Thursday.

It said that diplomats should strictly adhere to the 1961 Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

The DFA specifically cited the first paragraph of the convention’s Article 41, which states: “Without prejudice to their privileges and immunities, it is the duty of all persons enjoying such privileges and immunities to respect the laws and regulations of the receiving state. They also have a duty not to interfere in the internal affairs of that state.”

No approval

Earlier, the DFA stressed that only President Marcos could approve or authorize agreements pertaining to the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

“In this respect, the DFA can confirm that no Cabinet-level official of the Marcos administration has agreed to any Chinese proposal pertaining to the Ayungin Shoal,” the DFA said on Tuesday.

“As far as the Philippine government is concerned, no such document, record or deal exists, as purported by the Chinese Embassy,” the DFA added.

Handle with care

Brawner urged the public and the media to handle reports of alleged recordings and so-called agreements between Filipino and Chinese officials cited by Beijing “with care and to avoid spreading unverified information that could further escalate tensions or mislead public opinion.”

On Wednesday, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said China violated Philippine law, particularly the antiwiretapping law.

According to him, the DFA would “find out the truth of what really happened.”

“Those responsible must be identified and must be expelled from the Republic of the Philippines,” Teodoro said.

China has repeatedly claimed that the “new model” to manage the tension in Ayungin was approved by Teodoro and National Security Adviser Eduardo Año

But Teodoro and Año have flatly denied the claim.

Teodoro said that the President had not given any authority to any official to enter into a deal with Beijing on the West Philippine Sea.

Año earlier called China’s claim of a new model to ease tensions at Ayungin as “absolutely absurd, ludicrous and preposterous.” —WITH A REPORT FROM DONA Z. PAZZIBUGAN