Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, however, said such claims form part of what he described as China’s “deceptive messaging.”
“There were no fish caught, no clams, and no nets were found. So the question we are now studying is: was this an attempt to possibly poison our men by introducing cyanide into the suction system of our desalinating machines? This is what we are looking into,” Trinidad said, referring to a separate incident last year in which cyanide was allegedly confiscated from Chinese fishermen aboard a sampan.
Gray warfare turns devious
He said the bottles containing cyanide were seized last year and that investigators took time to verify the incident before making it public. He added that authorities disclosed the information as part of efforts to show the public what the Chinese Communist Party has allegedly been doing in Philippine waters.
“We are not in the process of fabricating information. What we are bringing out to the public is the truth,” Trinidad said, noting that coral reef damage in the area has been extensive.
