The Philippine Navy remains unfazed by the presence of roughly 300 Chinese maritime militia ships across the West Philippine Sea.
According to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the WPS, the 101 vessels recently sighted over the weekend form part of an estimated 350 Chinese maritime militia ships currently dispersed throughout the area.
He said the vessels are China’s “force multipliers” and are anchored and “nested” in various areas of the West Philippine Sea “just to show that they are occupying a particular spot within our [Exclusive Economic Zone].”
He said the militia vessels are fishing boats with a “dual purpose” of assisting China’s navy and coast guard.
“Kumbaga ito ang CAFGU sa dagat,” he said in an interview with state-run media PTV Wednesday, December 10.
The military has also monitored 20 China Coast Guard and People’s Liberation Army Navy ships in various features in the first week of December.
“There are times na meron tayong fisherfolks na tinataboy nila but ‘yung ating presensya naman ay tumutulong na iniiwasan nila na makuhanan sila ng video na tinataboy nila o ginagawan ng coercive and aggressive actions and ating mga fisherfolks,” he noted.
Trinidad also pointed out that it is the Chinese PLA Navy that are causing tensions in the region.
“Ang ginagawa natin, pinapanindigan natin ang sa atin. We are here to secure and to protect what is rightfully and legally ours,” he said.
Trinidad called the continuous “illegal presence” of China ships as a “great challenge” but maintained that the Philippine Navy and Armed Forces of the Philippines are “up to the challenge”, noting that they also have the help of other countries.
