PH Navy denies China patrol claim

PH Navy denies China patrol claim | Daily Tribune

The Philippine Navy has dismissed China’s claim of conducting combat readiness patrols near the disputed Scarborough Shoal (Bajo de Masinloc), calling it part of Beijing’s “information shaping operations.”

Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, rejected a report from China’s Southern Theatre Navy — published by Xinhua News Agency — that claimed it had boosted patrols and surveillance to enhance control over the area.

“News like this are part of the Chinese Communist Party’s information operations to manage internal dissent or sway international opinion in their favor,” Trinidad told reporters.

He said that monitoring by the Philippine Navy and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) showed no signs of increased activity by China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) within the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

“As of Saturday morning, only two China Coast Guard vessels, six Chinese maritime militia ships, four Vietnamese fishing boats, and three Taiwanese fishing boats were observed in the area,” Trinidad said.

“No activity by the PLA Navy was monitored,” he stressed.

Trinidad reaffirmed the military’s commitment to protect Philippine waters.

“The PN and AFP will continue to secure and protect our maritime domain as we remain committed to regional peace and stability,” he said.

Scarborough Shoal, or Bajo de Masinloc, lies 124 nautical miles from Zambales and is within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile EEZ under the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

It remains a flashpoint in Philippine-China relations, with tensions heightened after Beijing rejected a 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims in the South China Sea.

Last month, the Philippines asserted its sovereignty after China accused Manila of illegally intruding into the area.

“This is likely aimed at a domestic audience,” Trinidad said of the recent Chinese claims.

“Only the Philippine Navy and other Philippine-flagged law enforcement ships have the authority and legal basis to challenge any vessel in our maritime zones,” he added.