00:00Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Jay Tariella and
00:05Sagi Partylist Representative Rodante Marcoleta had a heated exchange on Tuesday during the
00:11Joint House Committee hearing on fake news ahead of the 2025 midterm elections over the
00:17lawmakers' recent claim that there is no such thing as the West Philippine Sea.
00:23Marcoleta confronted Tariella over an alleged social media post
00:27labeling him a traitor after his controversial statement regarding the West Philippine Sea.
00:33Tariella denied calling Marcoleta a traitor, clarifying that he merely echoed President
00:39Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s firm stance on the country's sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.
00:44He maintained that statements dismissing the West Philippine Sea as a fabrication
00:49were a disservice and an embarrassment to those making such claims.
00:54However, Marcoleta argued that Tariella did not make any effort to correct public perception
01:00and refute accusations against him which led to widespread online criticism.
01:05In response, Tariella emphasized he had no obligation to defend Marcoleta against public
01:10backlash, stating that he could not control how netizens reacted to the lawmakers' remarks.
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