SUMMARY
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Claim: The United States recently announced that it will donate four advanced warships to the Philippine Navy to support the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP)’s modernization program.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video containing the claim, posted on January 15, has 27,211 views, 19 comments, and 413 likes as of writing.
The bottom line: The US has not donated any new warships to the Philippine Navy. The video presents an old claim from May 2023 and refers to Washington’s donation of four patrol boats, not warships, to the Philippines.
US donation: Naval News reported on May 3, 2023, that the US planned to transfer four patrol boats to boost the Philippine Navy’s maritime capabilities. According to a fact sheet released by the White House, the intended patrol boats were two Island-class and two Protector-class patrol vessels from the US Coast Guard.
“These transfers will support the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ modernization program by enhancing its maritime and tactical lift capabilities,” the White House said.
In March, the US also transferred two newly-decommissioned Cyclone class patrol craft to the Philippines as part of its Excess Defense Articles program. The two vessels, formerly known as USS Monsoon (PC4) and USS Chinook (PC9), officially joined the Philippine Navy’s fleet in September 2023 and were renamed BRP Valentin Diaz (PS117) and BRP Ladislao Diwa (PS178).
The 55-meter vessels will be used for coastal patrols as well as humanitarian assistance and disaster response missions.
No new donations: No news outlets have reported on any new donations from the US to the Philippines. There have been no official announcements from the Philippine Navy on its website, official Facebook page, and X (formerly Twitter) page. The US embassy in the Philippines has also not made any announcements regarding the supposed donation. – Katarina Ruflo/Rappler.com
Katarina Ruflo is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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