By Franco Jose C. Baroña
MANILA, Philippines — A political analyst and columnist of The Manila Times hit back hard at an official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) over what she called “reckless” and “baseless” accusations made during a hearing on fake news and misinformation at the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
During the Tri Committee hearing, Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesman on the West Philippine Sea, tagged Professor Anna Malindog-Uy as one of the “Filipino bloggers” linked to an alleged disinformation network regarding the South China Sea issue—a claim the columnist said was not only unsupported by evidence but “couched in vague insinuations” that dangerously conflate critical commentary with fake news.
“This is my initial response to Commodore Tarriela in what can only be described as a witch hunt, he saw fit to drag my name into the fray,” Malindog-Uy said in a statement released on Wednesday. “Such accusations reflect more on the accuser than the accused.”
Drawing a clear line between scholarship and social media noise, Malindog-Uy pushed back against Tarriela’s classification.
“Let me begin by setting the record straight: I am not and have never considered myself a blogger. I am a scholar, a commentator, and a columnist,” she said.
Aside from being a columnist of The Manila Times, Malindog-Uy is the vice president and director at the Manila-based think tank Asian Century Philippines Strategic Studies Institute. She is also a Ph.D. candidate in Economics at the Institute of South-South Cooperation and Development (ISSCAD) at Peking University in Beijing.
Her research and advocacy centers on promoting equitable growth, social justice, and autonomy in development policy-making. She delves into critical areas such as fair trade, debt relief, technology transfer, environmental justice, and sustainable development
In her statement, Malindog-Uy emphasized that her work was grounded in “rigorous research, critical analysis, and intellectual inquiry,” not propaganda or sensationalism—an assertion she said Tarriela appeared either “unable or unwilling” to recognize.
She warned that the commodore’s remarks set a dangerous precedent in a democratic society, where dissenting views on government policy are being increasingly vilified. She challenged Tarriela to produce evidence of any supposed “fake news” she allegedly propagated about the SCS.
“If Commodore Tarriela believes I have propagated falsehoods, let him present concrete proof. Vague insinuations and politically charged accusations are no substitute for evidence,” she said.
Malindog-Uy added that her consistent criticism of the government’s “confrontational and belligerent” stance in the South China Sea should not be equated with disinformation.
“Would having such a perspective be tantamount to spreading fake news? I don’t think so,” she said.
Taking a jab at the PCG official, Malindog-Uy accused Tarriela of resorting to “character attacks” and lacking the maturity expected of a public servant involved in delicate geopolitical matters.
“Running to TriComm for support and casting critics as ‘enemies’ of Marcos Jr.’s current regime does not strengthen our case in the South China Sea. It only makes us look insecure,” she said.
Malindog-Uy urged government officials to read and engage with her published work before launching accusations, and to raise the quality of public discourse rather than weaponizing disinformation claims.
Source: The Manila Times
https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/04/09/news/ph-coast-guard-officials-reckless-baseless-claims-on-south-china-sea-refuted/2088994
