The Philippine Coast Guard on Friday maintained that the exercises between the Philippies and Vietnam Coast Guard were purely humanitarian efforts and not connected with the ongoing sea row in the West Philippine Sea.

“The PCG, in history, is the oldest humanitarian organization. The exercises between Vietnam CG are more humanitarian…firefighting, search and rescue, and life-saving—a goodwill visit. We hope this activity will multiply and enhance as a lot needs help in the vast seas,” said CG Captain Lawrence Roque, the Commanding Officer of BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301).

He said with the exercises, the PCG saw areas of improvement, particularly air surveillance capabilities.

“This would also mean collaboration and cooperation with the claimants of the West Philippine Sea. This will usher in the rules-based approach and direction with regards to claims in the disputed waters, which the Philippines is doing. We hope the Vietnam government will also follow what the Philippine government is doing,” Roque said.

The two coast guard contingents, on Friday, conducted a joint maritime exercise in Manila Bay as part of the five-day port visit of Hanoi's ship. 

Search and rescue, fire and explosion prevention training, and passing exercises were held, according to the PCG.

Last 17 July, Vietnam filed claims to the United Nations on its extended continental shelf in the West Philippine Sea after Vietnam filed its submission to the United Nations.

It said that under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), Vietnam is “entitled to a continental shelf extending beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.”

Also, Hanoi insisted on its sovereignty over the Spratly Islands, which it called Truong Sa, as well as the Paracel or Hoang Sa, citing international law and the rights over its maritime zones in the East Sea established under UNCLOS.