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Filipino Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Filipino Times
China urges New Zealand festival to drop Filipino documentary on West Philippine Sea
Chinese officials have called on the organizers of the Doc Edge Festival in New Zealand to cancel future screenings of Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea, a Filipino documentary that tackles maritime tensions in the disputed waters. Directed by Baby Ruth Villarama, the film premiered in Auckland on June 30 after it was pulled from a local film festival in the Philippines due to unspecified 'external factors.' The Chinese Consulate in Auckland described the film as 'politically motivated' and 'misleading.' 'The documentary… is rife with disinformation and false propaganda, serving as a political tool for the Philippines to pursue illegitimate claims in the South China Sea. Its screening would severely mislead the public and send the wrong message internationally,' the Consulate said in an email sent to festival organizers. Doc Edge general manager Rachael Penman rejected the request and affirmed the festival's commitment to supporting independent storytelling and protecting freedom of expression. 'We programmed a film that we felt was really important to be seen and brings up a conversation with so many people. I hope that everyone does go and see this now, and has their own opportunity to make their own decisions about this film,' she said. The documentary highlights the experiences of Filipino fishermen, along with the resupply mission of the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy in the Scarborough Shoal, an area located within the Philippines' exclusive economic zone but also claimed by China. The film received the Tides of Change Award under the Best Festival Category in the Academy Award-qualifying film festival.
South China Morning Post
12-03-2025
- Politics
- South China Morning Post
Philippines ramps up efforts to uncover alleged Chinese espionage, but can its laws catch up?
In under three months, the Philippines has ramped up its counter-intelligence efforts, leading to a raft of arrests and investigations into suspected espionage activities in the country. Advertisement Now, observers are stressing the urgency of updating the country's anti-spying laws, but there are concerns whether a new crop of lawmakers will prioritise such legislation following the country's midterm elections in May. Law enforcement officers in the Philippines had uncovered an alleged espionage network of 'hundreds' of Chinese agents , with eight more suspects set to be detained later this month, Bloomberg reported. The development follows recent investigations into alleged spy networks that led the Philippine National Police to investigate the donation of motorcycles to police forces in Manila and Tarlac City by individuals suspected to be Chinese agents. In January, authorities detained five Chinese nationals for allegedly posing as Taiwanese tourists to spy on the Philippine Coast Guard and Navy in Palawan – an island strategically close to maritime flashpoints such as the Spratly Islands. Advertisement Witnesses reported that these individuals were seen installing surveillance cameras at a resort to monitor maritime activities.
