South China Sea: who is Alberto Carlos, the Philippine admiral who allegedly agreed to ‘new model’ in Second Thomas Shoal?

Philippine authorities have defended Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos but critics continue to doubt him in light of his 2008 attendance at China’s Naval Command College

China might be using Carlos as a ‘pawn’ given his position as head of the Western Command, analysts say, as part of the Chinese military’s ‘cognitive warfare’

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Philippine military chief General Brawner (right) and Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos (left) share a meal with Filipino marines and navy personnel stationed aboard the BRP Sierra Madre at the Second Thomas Shoal on December 10, 2023. Photo: AP

Published: 11:20pm, 10 May 2024Updated: 12:16am, 11 May 2024

A vice-admiral in the Philippine navy is at the centre of a geopolitical scandal after the Chinese embassy in Manila claimed to have an audio recording of him agreeing to a controversial “new model” to manage conflict over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea.

Manila has denied that Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos had approved the alleged deal that would limit the Philippines’ capacity from resupplying its outpost in the Second Thomas Shoal.

The Philippine government and military have defended Carlos, but critics continue to question his ties to Beijing, in light of his attendance at China’s Naval Command College in 2008 where he was the first Filipino military officer to have completed a course there as part of an intergovernmental programme.

Carlos is on an indefinite leave of absence from service, the military confirmed on Tuesday.

Vice-Admiral Alberto Carlos, head of the Philippine military’s Western Command. Carlos is on an indefinite leave of absence from service. Photo: Handout

Local paper Palawan News, located in the same region where Wescom is based, reported that Carlos met Chinese envoy Huang Xilian on July 21, 2022 and stressed the need for a “diplomatic approach” in resolving competing claims in the West Philippine Sea – Manila’s term for the section of the South China Sea that defines its maritime territory and includes its exclusive economic zone.