The Philippine Navy did not monitor any violation from the Chinese vessels while it was reportedly “loitering” near the Philippine (formerly Benham) Rise, a ranking navy official said on Monday.

Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Commodore Roy Trinidad, in a radio interview on Monday, confirmed the ongoing presence of two Chinese vessels about 800 nautical miles away from the Philippine exclusive economic zone.

“Malayo na, labas na ng ating EEZ (They are now far, out of our exclusive economic zone). Nasa mga 800 miles na (They are 800 nautical miles away) as of yesterday [Sunday] morning,” Trinidad said. 

Trinidad said the Chinese survey vessels, which reportedly came from Guangzhou City, are navigating in general direction going to the “southeast of the Pacific Ocean” with a speed of between eight to 10 knots only, depending on weather conditions. 

Further, the navy official said the passage of the Chinese vessels was still permissible.

“They have the freedom of navigation when it comes to the EEZ of coastal states so pwede siyang dumaan (they can still pass),” he said. 

“Walang nagawa na violation, wala namonitor na whatever they did, wala naman (There’s no violation made, we have not monitored any or whatever they did, there’s nothing)," Trinidad said when asked if the Chinese vessels had committed any violation to international laws while navigating the Philippine waters.

It was maritime expert and former United States defense attaché, Ray Powell, who said that two Chinese vessels were monitored “loitering” in the northeast corner of Philippine Rise, within the country’s EEZ as of 1 March. 

Powell previously identified the Chinese survey ships as the Haiyang Dizhi Liuhao and Haiyang Dizhi Shihao, which left a port at Longxue Island in Guangzhou, China on 26 February and sailed east southeast through the Luzon Strait.

Maritime security expert Renato de Castro, in a separate interview on Monday, said China’s reported presence in the eastern section of the Benham Rise might have something to do with an underwater survey in its preparation for possible occupation of Taiwan.

“Pwede pong simple scientific survey lang. Pero ang more concern ko ho talaga, talagang iniimbestigahan nila ‘yung area na ‘yan, hindi lang sa resources ‘yan (It can be a simple scientific survey. But my concern is that they are really investigating that area, not just for its resources),” de Castro lamented. 

He added that China has been researching the Pacific side of Taiwan. 

“Sinu-survey na ho nila ang area ng Taiwan, ‘yung Pacific side ng Taiwan. Kung papasukin nila ang Taiwan, most likely doon mangyayari ang amphibious operation (They are already surveying the area of Taiwan, the Pacific side of Taiwan. If they enter Taiwan, most likely, the amphibious operation will happen there),” said de Castro.

Following this report, the Philippine Coast Guard said it has deployed one of its biggest patrol vessels, BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301), to carry out a two-week patrol mission in waters within Philippine Rise and Batanes.