The swarming of the Chinese maritime militia vessels within the waters off Julian Felipe Reef in the West Philippine Sea is "appalling but not surprising," Senator Risa Hontiveros said on Tuesday.

Hontiveros reiterated her strong disappointment over China's illegal activities within the Philippine waters.

"This is appalling, but again, not surprising. We have seen this before. In 2021, over 200 ships were moored near Julian Felipe Reef, urging our government to file a diplomatic protest then. In 2022, they returned again," she said.

Hontiveros warned that China's  plan to occupy the Philippine territory "is the one causing trouble."

"No matter how many times our government and the international community condemn China's illegal activities in the West Philippine Sea, Beijing simply does not listen," she lamented.

Hontiveros said the government "should be doing more than fire off a diplomatic protest." She said there's a need "to execute actionable on-the-ground steps" to prevent China from any reclamation and base-building activities in Julian Felipe Reef. 

The Philippine government raised the alarm after it monitored 135 Chinese fishing boats swarming anew in the Julian Felipe Reef.

In a media interview on Tuesday, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin insisted that the Chinese vessels' presence in the reef is "justified and lawful."