FACT CHECK: US, PH did not attack Chinese warships in West PH Sea

Claim: A YouTube video shows that the US and Philippines attacked Chinese warships in the West Philippine Sea.

Rating: FALSE

Why we fact-checked this: The false claim on YouTube was posted by EllaVlogs with the title: “24 ORAS EXPRESS PILIPINAS AUSTRALIA JAPAN U,S BUMANAT NA MATINDI PA SA UKRAINE ! VINES NEWS VIRAL” (24-hour Express Philippines Australia Japan US attacked Chinese warship worse than in Ukraine) The video has 5,000 views and 18 comments as of writing.

What the video shows: The video shows a clip of several ships being attacked by a missile with the text: “CHINA WARSHIP BINANATAN NG AMERICA SABOG LUBOG… PILIPINAS BINANATAN ANG CHINA WAR SHIP SABOG” (China warship attacked by America exploded, sank… Philippines attacked a China war ship that exploded)

Not a Chinese ship: In 2022, the Pakistan Navy carried out an exercise for Missile and Torpedo Firings to test their operational strategies and preparedness for potential conflict. Similarly, in 2020, the Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) participant nations conducted a sinking exercise in the Pacific, where they sank the decommissioned ex-military cargo ship ex-USS Durham.

Compared to the actual video from the Pakistan and US Navies, the video clip of the ships being attacked was magnified and mirrored. 

Despite the absence of proof, assertions about China’s ships being targeted by other nations persist. Rappler’s fact checkers have discredited these claims, which have been employed in various contexts, including China purportedly being attacked by Japan, Australia, and the United States. – Jezreel Ines/Rappler

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