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The Philippines and Germany committed to concluding a broader defense cooperation arrangement. However, no reports confirm Berlin’s offer of military assets to Manila.
Claim: Germany has offered its MEKO A-200 frigates to the Philippines as the two countries deepen their military ties.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video bearing the claim has gained 16,630 views, 397 likes, and 48 comments as of writing.
In the video, the narrator claims Germany has offered its MEKO A-200 frigates to the Philippines to boost the country’s defense amid maritime tensions with China. Another video bearing a similar claim says in its title that the Philippines has already accepted this offer.
The bottom line: No reports confirm that Germany has offered the frigates to the Philippines, or that Manila has accepted this offer. Neither the Philippine Department of Defense nor the Philippine Navy stated any plans to acquire the German ships. German naval vessel manufacturer ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems also did not announce a potential sale of its A-200 vessels to the Philippines.
Deepening military ties: The misleading claims circulated following the visit of German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to the Philippines in August.
Pistorius met with his Philippine counterpart Gilberto Teodoro on August 4 and with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in Malacañang on August 5. The visit aimed to reaffirm Germany’s ties with the Philippines and commit to finalizing a potential defense agreement this year for joint military training and sales of German weapons to the Philippines.
In a news conference, Teodoro said the Philippines is eyeing Germany as a “possible supplier” of its defense capabilities but did not provide specific details.
International support: Manila and Berlin are deepening military ties amid China’s heightened aggression in the South China Sea, which it claims in its entirety despite a 2016 arbitral ruling rejecting this claim. Berlin has expressed its support for the ruling, calling it “final and legally binding.”
Other Western countries have also condemned China’s continued “aggression and provocation” and “dangerous actions” in the West Philippine Sea.
ALSO ON RAPPLER
The Philippines has been seeking to expand and modernize its naval power to enhance its maritime security and forge partnerships with allies and “like-minded states.”
Rappler has already published several fact-checks disputing claims about supposed Philippine military acquisitions:
– Kyle Marcelino/Rappler.com
Kyle Marcelino 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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