By Perfecto T. Raymundo, Jr.
QUEZON CITY — The Association of Philippine-China Understanding (APCU) on Tuesday (Oct. 21 said that they will continue to promote friendship and cooperation despite the fake news of Reuters.
In a press conference, APCU Chairman Atty. Raul Lambino said that today will be the last presscon because they will have a general assembly and election on Nov. 8.
Lambino cited the APCU forum, monthly held before the pandemic, which was stopped in 2020, 2021 and 2022.
They went to Barangay 74, Lower Nukan Tula, Tacloban City.
The APCU has sent Filipino students to China to study the culture and heritage of China.
In turn, many Chinese youth also visited the Philippines for stronger brotherhood and cooperation.
In China, APCU also established Philippine Studies Centers which made them understand more information about the Philippines.
It also paved the way for opportunities on economic relations and promotes the Philippines as a tourist destination.
Lambino noted that a news article of Reuters by McPherson and Karen Lema, who are Anglo-Saxon media, reported wrong information about APCU.
He said that APCU started in 1974 that helps promote friendship and diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China at a time that there was still no diplomatic relations, which was established in 1975.
APCU was never accused of being an affiliate of the PROC.
1974 and continuous and it was only during the time of PNoy that APCU was iinactive.
It was only in 2019 under the leadership of Renato Velasco and later on Jeffrey Ng that APCU again revived the students exchange program, people exchange program until the APCU Awards for the Phillipines and China Understanding was established.
The CPC was never a partner of APCU but rather it is a partnership between the Philippines and the Chinese Embassy.
They never granted huge amounts of money together with the Awards.
Reuters alleged that they interviewed someone from APCU who was the source of fake news.
Lambino lambasted Reuters that APCU is not funded by CPC, but an affiliate of ASEAN China Friendship Association.
“I hope you can come up with your correction,” Lambino told Reuters.
APCU will continue with its activities.
Lambino is ready to face anything for his unwavering support to former President Rodrigo Duterte and Vice President Sara Duterte.
He said that they are not selecting personalities in politics when it comes to the Awardees of APCU.
However, Reuters reported that the APCU Awardees were being used as propaganda supporting China.
The Bilateral Cooperation Mechanism (BCM) is an international treaty ratified by the Philippines and China, which can be used to resolve the territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
Lambino is also pushing for a Visa-free for China, noting that Hainan is Visa(free.
He was elated that the DFA is pushing for e-Visa in the sense that it will promote tourism in the Philippines.
“Insofar as these fake social media accounts, APCU has nothing to do it. We are not engaged with any fake account. APCU does not have any fake social media account” Lambino said.
On reports that the pension of retired military officers who are instigating the military to withdraw their support from PBBM will be stopped, Lambino said, they have the right right to their pension and they are protected by the right to freedom of expression under the Constitution.
“Geopolitics is the soft interest of a country that is the very essence of geopolitics,” Lambino said.
“With respect to all of them,* Lambino said,” they are playing geopolitics not in the interest of the Philippines, but in the interest of America.”.
Lambino noted that majority of Filipinos have Chinese blood — 60% or more than 60% of Filipinos have Chinese blood.
He stressed that thousands of years ago or long before 1896, there had been many Chinese in the Philippines.
“APCU is not anti-America. We are pro-Philippines. The fake news of Reuters is targeting me. It’s again part of the dangerous game of geopolitics,” Lambino said.
Sixto Benedicto, APCU President, said that
APCU was formally established in 1974.
Benedicto cited the assistance extended by China to the people of the Philippines affected by a typhoon in the 1970s.
Ado Paglinawan, APCU Vice President and Head of APCU Institute, in our industry, this is the so called “kuryente” .
“I have been practicing public relations since 1970,” Paglinawan said.
He added that the name of a former Senator surfaced that caused the trouble between the Philippines and China.
The former senator lost in the 2025 elections under the anti-China platform.
The said senator testified before the Tricom where Paglinawan himself was grilled and destroyed his personality.
Paglinawan would not name the senator, who authored the National Maritime Zones Act.
He was blocked to speak out the truth before the House Triad Committee (Tricom).
He cited the article of Reuters about the InfinitUS which was allegedly paid by the Chinese Embassy to peddle disinformation or fake news.
Paglinawan was never interviewed by Reuters about the APCU and the InfinitUS.
At 77 years old, Paglinawan does not anymore fear of anything.
He has written 3 books and published thousands of articles on geopoolitics.
Paglinawan branded the Reuters article as a syndicated international press release.
He would like Reuters to publish articles about individuals who are receiving millions of dollars from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) and charge them with espionage.
“USA is open to media. US1.6 billion from 2022-2025. Does Reuters accuse them of being a puppet to the Republicans,” Paglinawan said.
He stressed that the DFA and the PCG have become more open because they know that it’s close to physical harm.
“I’ll stand my ground on this because this is all lie,” Paglinawan said, referring to the article of Reuters.
“But going down to the dangerous labeling — it’s not exclusive to red tagging and the ruling of the Supreme Court on red tagging can be applied,” Paglinawan said.
“And if we have to clarify with the media, we will not duck at any question,” he added.
Paglinawan cited that Chinese President Xi Jinping even pledged US$23 billion in investments.
During the time of the late Philippine Ambassador to China Pabs Sta. Romana, an average of 5,000 tourist visas was being processed.
Paglinawan also cited China which said that one of the national security concerns of the Philippines is inflation and no. 2 is corruption.
According to Paglinawan, the people in government should focus on what to do to address the problems of the people instead of leading in the labeling or red tagging.
Paglnawan backed the strong statement of Vice Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, who was in Taiwan discussing geopolitical issues and “kissing the ass” of Taiwanese President Ching Laipe.
He slammed Defense Secretary Gibo Teodoro who has not yet renounced his Maltese citizenship and has not yet presented a certificate that he has reacquired his Filipino citizenship.
Paglinawan also scored the “water canoning” incident in the Scarborough Shoal, the real narrative of which, has not been reported. ###
