Philippine Navy Spokesperson on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad on Tuesday confirmed the sighting of a Chinese aircraft carrier off the Western part of Luzon recently.
In a press briefing held in Camp Aguinaldo, Trinidad said that the Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces were aware of the said China Naval assets. He noted, however, that the other ships from China such as the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and Chinese Coast Guard Maritime Militia vessels were also passing the WPS.
“We have to understand that the WPS is a nautical highway, it could be likened to EDSA. On an ordinary day, ships are coming there from the straits of Malacca exit to the South China Sea,” Trinidad said.
”On the report of the Chinese Coast Guard aircraft carrier and monster ship of the China Coast Guard, the Philippine Navy monitors our maritime domain and we are aware of them,” he added.
Trinidad explained that some of the challenged ships from China responded and many of them ignored the Philippine warnings. He noted that challenging a ship entering Philippine waters is part of Navy practices worldwide.
“Some of them respond, some of them do not. Not only the PLA Navy, but even the other warships. Some of them respond, some of them do not,” he said.
“All ships to include merchant vessels that transit through sea lines of communications are regularly challenged. On a given day, we challenged hundreds of them all over the country,” Trinidad added.
Global Times on Sunday reported that PLA Navy’s aircraft carrier Shandong “recently arrived” about 200 nautical miles away from Luzon or within the edge of the WPS.
Shandong, one of the two aircraft carriers under the PLA-N’s fleet, is also likely on a scheduled exercise in preparation for a potential voyage into the West Pacific Ocean, the Global Times also reported.
From June 17 until June 27, China Coast Guard’s (CCG) biggest vessel dubbed as “monster ship” conducted what maritime expert Ray Powell described an “intrusive patrol” in the exclusive economic zones of the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei.
Also on June 17, CCG personnel also rammed, towed, and even boarded Philippine Navy boats during a resupply mission in the Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, which the Philippine military said led to what they deem as “looting” and even caused serious injuries to one of its naval personnel.
Based on the recent monitoring of the Philippine Navy, there were a total of 95 Chinese vessels roaming Philippine water features.
Thirteen of them were CCG vessels, five of which were spotted in Bajo de Masinloc and Ayungin Shoal, two ships passed by Sabina Shoal, and one ship was seen in Pag-asa Islands.
Six PLA Navy ships were spotted also in Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin Shoal, Pag-asa and Panatag Islands and Sabina Shoal, while 75 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels were monitored in Bajo de Masinloc, Ayungin and Sabina Shoals, Pag-asa, Parola and Panata Islands and Julian Felipe Reef.
In an interview with PTV, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff General Romeo Brawner Junior reiterated that the occupied water features in the WPS were part of the country.
“Atin ‘yan, at dapat natin na ipaglaban ‘yan (Those are ours and we have to defend them),” Brawner said.
Meanwhile, Trinidad said all ships enjoy freedom of navigation or freedom of rights to innocent passage. He, however, assured that the Philippine Navy and the AFP will continue monitoring the vast expanse of the Philippines’ maritime domain.