Manila: A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Tuesday reported that a total of 28 Chinese warships and coast guard vessels were detected in four critical areas of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from April 5 to 12.
According to Philippines News Agency, PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad provided details during a press briefing, stating that these ships were identified near Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, Escoda Shoal, and Pag-asa Island. Specifically, the monitoring efforts revealed 10 China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels at Bajo de Masinloc, three People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warships and six CCG ships at Ayungin Shoal, one PLAN vessel and three CCG ships near Escoda Shoal, and one Chinese warship along with four coast guard vessels near Pag-asa Island.
In a comparison to March data, Trinidad noted that a total of 90 Chinese vessels were recorded in the same areas. He highlighted the ongoing unauthorized presence of both PLAN and CCG ships in these strategic locations. The March figures were broken down as 49 vessels (17 PLAN, 32 CCG) at Bajo de Masinloc, 15 vessels (four PLAN, 11 CCG) near Pag-asa Island, 14 vessels (four PLAN, 10 CCG) at Ayungin Shoal, and 12 vessels (seven PLAN, five CCG) near Escoda Shoal.
The presence of these vessels in the WPS continues to be a significant concern for the Philippine authorities, drawing attention to the ongoing maritime disputes in the region.
