The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday pushed back against China’s accusation that Manila fabricated a “cyanide stunt” in Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), asserting that the Philippines’ claims are backed by scientific evidence and firsthand accounts from troops on the ground.

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, rejected Beijing’s allegations as “deceptive messaging,” stressing that the military does not manufacture incidents.

“All of our actions are based on scientific evidence—we do not fabricate. It took more than a year to have the liquid tested and confirm that it indeed contained cyanide,” Trinidad said.

“We reject any statement that these are fabricated news… History will not lie,” he added.

China earlier dismissed the Philippines’ discover of bottles containing cyanide from Chinese boats.

Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun accused Filipino forces of harassing Chinese fishermen and staging the alleged cyanide incident. 

Beijing also reiterated its claim over Ayungin Shoal, which it calls Ren’ai Jiao.

“The Philippines illegally grounded its vessel on Ren’ai Jiao and has caused great damage to the eco-environment there, which has been confirmed by relevant reports,” Guo said. 

“The Philippine side illegally harassed the Chinese fishing boats conducting normal fishing, grabbed the fishermen’s living supplies, and staged this so-called cyanide stunt. There is no credibility whatsoever to their story,” he added. 

But the AFP presented two Philippine Navy personnel stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre, who recounted separate operations in 2025 where suspected cyanide was recovered from Chinese fishing boats operating near the grounded outpost.

The sailors, identified only by their aliases “Hermes” and “Poseidon,” said they intercepted Chinese sampans (small boats) approaching the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal in multiple incidents in February, July, and October last year.

According to Hermes, troops deployed rubber boats to approach one of the vessels after monitoring its movement near the Philippine-held outpost.

Upon closing in, the sailors spotted containers onboard that raised suspicion.

“[At] that time, we only suspected the bottles contained cyanide. But with the recent confirmation, it tested positive,” he said in partly in vernacular.

The fishermen allegedly avoided confrontation and attempted to flee without offering any explanation.

“They did not give explanation. They did not try to speak. Their actions showed they wanted to get away and avoid being apprehended,” Hermes added.

Poseidon, who had spent extended time in the area, also raised alarm over environmental damage, citing visible coral degradation near the shoal.

“It’s sad because the reef used to be beautiful, but there are already parts that are dead,” he said in vernacular

Laboratory tests conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) later confirmed that the yellow bottles recovered from the Chinese boats contained cyanide—a toxic substance known to cause severe harm to marine ecosystems and humans.

Ina press conference on Monday, National Security Council (NSC) spokesperson Cornelio Valencia said the findings “remove any doubt” about the presence of the hazardous chemical, warning that its use could amount to illegal and destructive fishing practices.

Valencia also raised concerns that cyanide could damage coral reefs around Ayungin Shoal, potentially affecting the structural stability of the BRP Sierra Madre, which has been grounded there since 1999 as a Philippine military outpost.

Despite recovering the substances, the Philippine Navy did not detain the fishermen due to operational constraints, including the lack of facilities onboard to hold suspects.

Trinidad said the incident reflects a broader pattern of destabilizing activities in the WPS.

“Until today, the facts on the ground are very clear. The Chinese Communist Party, through the PLA Navy, Coast Guard, and maritime militia, has been conducting illegal, coercive, and aggressive actions,” he said.

“These actions have been the cause of instability not only in the West Philippine Sea, but in other parts of the globe,” he added.

Ayungin Shoal lies within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), where Manila exercises sovereign rights under international law.