FACT CHECK: PH has yet to acquire its first submarine

Claim: The Philippines’ newly-acquired submarine has arrived and is now in Manila Bay. 

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this:  The video, posted by YouTube channel Ella Vloggs on July 23, has gained over 1,600 views as of writing. 

The channel that posted the video has over 305,000 subscribers and has repeatedly posted misleading video clips for false claims about military activities.

The bottom line: The video lacked any supporting evidence for its claim. Instead, it merely showed an unidentified submarine with on-screen text suggesting that the Philippines’ first-ever submarine was spotted in Manila Bay. Furthermore, there are no official reports from the Philippine Navy or the Department of National Defense confirming the arrival of such a submarine.

As of writing, the Philippines has not yet acquired its first submarine. During the celebration of the Philippine Navy’s 125th anniversary last May 26, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said that plans to procure submarines for the country are “still being developed.”

“It is still part of our plan. But right now, we are in the middle of developing mostly our anti-submarine capabilities. So, ‘yun ang uunahin natin (that’s what we’ll prioritize) and then hopefully when the time comes and the conditions are agreeable then we might be able to acquire those submarines,” Marcos said.

The President also mentioned that various countries have made offers to provide completely-built submarines and to assemble them domestically. French defense company Naval Group, South Korea’s DSME, and Spain’s Navantia have offered to build submarines for the Philippines, according to an Inquirer report.

Rappler has covered similar false claims regarding the acquisition of submarines:

1. FACT CHECK: No news from PH Navy confirming French submarine acquisition
2. FACT CHECK: France has not delivered free submarines to the Philippines
3. FACT CHECK: South Korea will not give free submarines to PH

 – Andrei Santos/Rappler.com

Andrei Santos 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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