TWENTY-NINE Chinese Coast Guard and Navy ships were monitored at several features in the contested West Philippine Sea (WPS) in the South China Sea last month, the Philippine Navy said yesterday.
“These are all illegal, their presence is illegal,” said Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad referring to the ships — 15 from the Chinese Coast Guard and 14 People’s Liberation Army-Navy.
The vessels were sighted by the Armed Forces in the WPS features, including at Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, from October 1 to 31, he said.
Trinidad said the 29 Chinese ships were part of 13,874 foreign and domestic vessels monitored all over the Philippine archipelago in October.
“This maritime traffic was composed of 11,097 foreign and 2,777 domestic vessels, with 15 Chinese Coast Guard Vessels and 14 People’s Liberation Army Navy Vessels,” he said.
“These are innocent passage or freedom of navigation,” he added.
Trinidad said the foreign vessels, except the Chinese, replied to “challenges” made by the Philippine military.
China gained control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 following a standoff with Philippine government vessels and has since prevented Filipinos from fishing inside the shoal’s lagoon.
“These 29 vessels were monitored transiting or passing through the vicinity of our features to include Bajo de Masinloc, Sabina Shoal, Julian Felipe Reef, and Iroquois Reef and were not stationary,” said Trinidad.
China has become aggressive in its claims over the West Philippine Sea in the past years, harassing Philippine government vessels and aircraft and even Filipino fishing boats.
Trinidad said the Philippine military “will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that our waters remain safe and secure for all.”
