The Philippine Navy on Monday reaffirmed the country’s sovereignty and maritime rights over its territorial waters, responding to China’s latest claim that a Filipino warship had unlawfully entered the area near Scarborough Shoal in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, the Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), criticized the Chinese Communist Party for spreading propaganda to promote false narratives, while reaffirming that only the Philippines holds the legal right to patrol and challenge vessels in its waters.

Trinidad lamented that it is part of China’s “malign information” campaign, aimed at spreading misleading narratives, likely intended to shape public opinion and control narratives for political or strategic purposes.

“These are all part of shaping or malign info operations more likely for their internal audience,” he said.

In a statement released on a Chinese military website earlier this week, Chinese PLA Southern Theater Command spokesperson, Senior Captain Zhao Zhiwei, accused the Philippine Navy’s corvette, BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36), of illegally intruding into the waters of Huangyan Dao—a Chinese name for Scarborough (Panatag) Shoal—without the approval of the Chinese government.

Zhao Zhiwei said the Chinese naval forces had “tracked, monitored, and warned off the corvette according to law.”

“The actions of the Philippine side have seriously infringed upon China’s sovereignty and violated relevant provisions of Chinese laws and international law,” he said, warning the Philippines to cease “infringement and provocation.”

Trinidad dismissed the Chinese official’s latest statement.

“Only the Philippine Navy and other Philippine-flagged law enforcement ships have the authority and legal basis to challenge any ship within maritime zones,” he said.

The Philippine Navy’s BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) and BRP Andres Bonifacio (PS-17) are set to sail alongside U.S. ships and those from other allied nations in the upcoming Multilateral Maritime Event (MME) off the coast of Zambales, as part of the 40th iteration of the annual Exercise Balikatan.

The MME aims to enhance naval interoperability and maritime operational coordination among the participating forces, including the Philippine Navy, U.S. Navy, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

Panatag, or Scarborough Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles from Masinloc, Zambales, and falls within the Philippines' 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ).