Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. on Wednesday refuted China’s vast claims over the West Philippine Sea and its use of propaganda mechanisms to justify its harassment against the Filipinos within the country's territorial waters. 

“The propaganda mechanisms of the PRC once again attempt to justify their illegal acts against Philippine vessels on their so-called ‘indisputable’ claim over most of the South China Sea,” Teodoro said in a statement. 

The defense chief lamented China’s aggressive actions in the WPS as “patently illegal and downright uncivilized.”

“They take great pains to mischaracterize their provocations as lawful under international law and the actions of their CCG and Maritime Militia as professional, restrained, reasonable, and lawful. This claim is, simply put, one that no right-thinking State in the world agrees with and which many outright condemn,” he said. 

Teodoro lambasted China’s “vain attempt to manufacture and sell this story falters in the face of real incontrovertible facts.”

“We urge the People’s Republic of China to be truthful and to be believable,” he said.