President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday said the latest developments in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), including electronic interference and the sighting of a Chinese warship in the region, are already worrisome.

Marcos Jr. made the remarks in the media in an interview before departing to Canberra, Australia, after the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it monitored at least three People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warships some 20 nautical miles away from Bajo de Masinloc.

Philippine Navy, for its part, noted an increase in the communication interference in the tracking signals of Philippine vessels recently operating in the disputed area.

"It's worrisome because there are two elements to that. One is that previously only the Coast Guard of China was operating in our area. Now, there's the Navy, and fishing boats have joined. So, the situation is changing," Marcos Jr. said.

Despite these concerns, the President emphasized that the Philippines will continue to defend its maritime territory and support its fishermen operating in the disputed waters.

"We don't really intervene; of course, we observe what everybody is doing," he explained. "But really for us, we continue to defend our maritime territory. We continue to support all of our fishermen, fisherfolk who make their living from these fishing grounds, and we will continue to help them."

Marcos Jr. reiterated that the Philippines will not be deterred by any actions, including being blocked or shadowed, and will continue to allow its fishermen access to their traditional fishing grounds within the country's maritime territory.

"Despite whatever else happens, even if we're being blocked, whatever is being shadowed, we will continue our actions because that's our job, our job to help the fishermen who have been fishing there for a long time, for generations," he said.

PN said it is already trying to figure out where the interference is coming from that is messing up the electronics and phones of Filipino ships in the WPS.