AFP-WMC tracking 3 PLA Navy vessels

The Armed Forces of the Philippines-Western Mindanao Command (AFP-WMC) is closely monitoring the movement of three Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessels that have entered Philippine territorial waters.

AFP-WMC Commander Lt. Gen. Antonio G. Nafarrete said they have identified the three PLA vessels as a Renhai-class cruiser guided missile ship, a Jiankai-class frigate II, and a Type 903 Fuchi-class replenishment oiler, currently traversing the country’s internal waters.

The AFP-WMC immediately deployed two Philippine Air Force (PAF) aircraft — a C-208 and a Nomad N22 — to monitor the passage of the PLA Navy vessels within Philippine territorial waters, Nafarrete reported.

Additionally, Joint Task Force “Poseidon,” WMC’s lead maritime security arm, acted on the report in accordance with integrated rules of engagement and the AFP’s joint maritime standard operating procedures.

The task force also dispatched Philippine Navy vessels to challenge and shadow the PLA Navy ships as they passed through AFP-WMC’s area of responsibility.

The PLA Navy responded, invoking freedom of navigation and innocent passage.

Nafarrete added that the Philippine Navy’s littoral radars are continuously tracking the movement of the vessels.

The government first monitored the three PLA Navy vessels in the vicinity of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) as they navigated through the Mindoro Strait toward the Sulu Sea on Sunday.

The PLA Navy vessels are expected to transit through international passages within WMC’s maritime domain, including the Sibutu Passage and the Basilan Strait.

As archipelagic sea lanes of communication (ASLOCs), these passages allow the transit of foreign vessels, provided they comply with national and international laws governing transit and innocent passage, Lt. Gen. Nafarrete said.

However, he noted that the PLA Navy vessels transited without prior diplomatic coordination and maintained an unusually slow speed of 4–5 knots. This is inconsistent with the principles of innocent passage, which require continuous and expeditious transit, without lingering in archipelagic waters longer than necessary.

Nafarrete assured the public that the armed forces, as the protector of the people and the state, remain committed to securing the country’s sovereignty and the integrity of its national territory.