Ejercito: Wag maging makapili!

Senate Deputy Majority Leader Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Wednesday called out Filipinos whom he said were blatantly supporting pro-China narratives amid the escalating tension in the West Philippine Sea.

Without naming names, Ejercito said that there was nothing wrong with being patriotic, clarifying that he was not siding with any foreign country.

"There is nothing wrong with being patriotic. I am not pro-US, I am
pro-Filipino," he said in a tweet on the social media site X (formerly Twitter).

"Our territories are being taken away in front of us, yet there are groups that are condemning those who are criticizing China's bullying," he said.

"Wag maging makapili (Don't be a traitor)," he stressed.

The Makapili, or the Makabayang Kalipunan ng mga Pilipino (League of Patriotic Filipinos), spied on fellow Filipinos for the Japanese during World War II.

The Makapili, with their face and head covered with a native bag, pointed to the Japanese  fellow Filipinos they claimed were guerrilla fighters against the Imperial Japanese Army.

Earlier this week, Philippine Coast Guard spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Jay Tarriela warned against "pro-China narratives" being spread by some Filipino groups to divert attention from Beijing's aggression in the West Philippine Sea.

"Ironically, these individuals claim to be pro-Filipino while promoting Chinese narratives and even contradicting factual reports from Philippine authorities," he said.

"Ultimately, their proposed solutions amount to accommodating China's unreasonable and illegal claims, rather than seeking fair and just resolutions that safeguard our national interests," he added.

Among the most used narratives of these pro-China groups, according to Tarriela, was the claim that being vocal about China's aggression in the WPS "will lead us into a war."

"Exposing China's aggression is not inciting war. By keeping our political leaders and countrymen aware of China's violations of international law, we are safeguarding our country from political manipulation and disinformation," the PCG spokesperson said.