The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Friday said it will not launch an investigation into the Western Command chief’s alleged phone conversation with a Chinese diplomat agreeing to a “new model” arrangement in managing the situation in the West Philippine Sea.

AFP spokesperson, Col. Francel Margareth Padilla, earlier said that WesCom chief Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos’ indefinite leave was personal and had nothing to do with China’s allegations.

“In our case, moving forward with this issue, at this point in time (we are not moving) towards Vice Admiral Carlos because we respect his decision to apply for a leave, so he’s on leave right now,” Padilla said in an ambush interview in Camp Aguinaldo on Friday.

“On the part of the AFP, we designated somebody to take his place so (that’s where we are now) in terms of the moves of the AFP,” she added.

Padilla stressed the AFP remained “focused on the real issue at hand.”

Asked if the AFP had reached out to Carlos to discuss the issue, Padilla said: “We respect his decision to go on leave so his leave is approved, duly approved and we have somebody in acting capacity, so we want to point out here that we want to move forward focusing on the real issue at hand.”

“These are unverified sources, so these are unvetted, so we do not react to that. The AFP does not react to unverified, unvetted and we don’t even know where the source is coming from,” she said.

China diverting issues

For his part, Philippine Navy for WPS spokesperson, Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, said China is just fascinated with creating division among Filipinos to divert our attention from the vast claims in the South China Sea.

“(All that they are saying) I call it marites (gossip) warfare to sow intrigue among us Filipinos (so we would fight among ourselves) and we will be diverted from the issue which is China encroaching on our territorial domain in the West Philippine Sea,” Trinidad said in a separate interview on Friday.

Backing Trinidad’s remarks, Padilla said the AFP will remain professional and will not be “swayed by messaging that creates disunity among Filipinos.”

“We should look at how China acts whenever we are conducting legitimate humanitarian missions in our territorial waters—we should focus on that and shall not be swayed by China’s narratives because as Commodore Trinidad said, this is a battle of narratives, we do not have to fall into the trap,” Padilla said.

Breaching protocols

Meanwhile, National Security Adviser Eduardo Año on Friday said China’s recent claims only aim to sow discord and division among Filipinos.

He slammed the Chinese Embassy’s publicizing of “spurious” transcripts or recordings of purported conversations between Carlos and Chinese officials.

Año said such acts should not be allowed to pass unsanctioned or without serious penalty.

“We join Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in his call for the Department of Foreign Affairs to take appropriate actions against individuals in the Chinese Embassy who claim to have recorded an alleged phone conversation between a Chinese diplomat and a military official for violating Philippine laws, particularly the Anti-Wire Tapping Act, as well as for serious breaches of diplomatic protocols and conventions,” he said.

Año noted that the Chinese embassy officials’ publicizing a supposed “transcript of a phone conversation” was a move that bypassed a hierarchy, long-established channels, and protocols.

“Bypassing official and long-established channels and protocols, talking to officials without the requisite authorities or bona fides, then maliciously claiming that alleged discussions should bind the PH government is farcical, foolish, and reckless,” he said.

Individuals from the Chinese Embassy, he said, are responsible for violating “Philippine laws and the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.”

“Those responsible for these malign influence and interference operations must be removed from the country immediately,” he stressed.

Support for Carlos

On the other hand, the Philippine Military Academy Makatao Class of 1989 on Friday issued a statement supporting Carlos.

“We, the PMA Makatao Class of 1989, stand firmly with our mistah, Vice Admiral Alberto Carlos PN, a distinguished Filipino military officer of unwavering integrity, patriotism, and honorable service throughout his professional career,” it said.

“We likewise agree with the statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that in light of recent developments and the need for diplomatic prudence, the importance of exercising caution in handling sensitive reports and refraining from disseminating unverified information cannot be overstated, as it could potentially exacerbate tensions or mislead public opinion,” they added.

PMA Class 1989 vouched for Carlos’ “exemplary character” as a graduate of the United States Naval Academy and Ten Outstanding Philippine Soldiers (TOPS) awardee, saying the Wescom chief “serves as a beacon of inspiration for all those who have had the privilege of serving alongside him.”

“It is our firm belief that his dedication to duty, honor, and country exemplifies the highest standards of military service and leadership, reflecting the core principles of the Armed Forces of the Philippines,” they added.