Nearly 8,000 foreign-flagged vessels sailed through Philippine maritime zones in March this year alone without responding to radio challenges, raising fresh concerns over compliance with international maritime protocols and the scale of unauthorized presence in the country’s waters.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) reported monitoring 22,755 vessels for the month, of which 19,328 were foreign-flagged and 3,428 were domestic.

Of the total monitored, 14,990 vessels responded to radio challenges, while 7,765 vessels — most of them foreign — failed to acknowledge Philippine authorities.

Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said the figures underscore persistent incursions, particularly in disputed waters.

“Specific to the West Philippine Sea, we have documented the persistent and unauthorized presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy and China Coast Guard. For this month, a total of 90 different vessels,” Trinidad said.

The monitored Chinese vessels were deployed across key areas within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone: Bajo de Masinloc recorded 49 vessels, including 17 from the People’s Liberation Army Navy and 32 from the China Coast Guard; Pag-asa had 15 vessels; Ayungin Shoal, 14; and Escoda Shoal, 12.

“These figures highlight the continued use of ICAD (illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive) actions, which undermine the rules-based international order and are a blatant attempt to erode the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and sovereign rights of the Philippines,” Trinidad said.

2016 arbitral ruling

Despite the scale of activity, the AFP maintained that it continues to monitor and document all movements within Philippine waters.

“We will continue to document every intrusion and maintain a disciplined, professional presence to protect our national patrimony. Our commitment to the Filipino people is unwavering: We will not back down, and we will not be deterred,” Trinidad said.

The West Philippine Sea forms part of the broader South China Sea, one of the world’s busiest maritime corridors and a region believed to hold significant fisheries and energy resources.

The Philippines asserts sovereign rights over portions of these waters under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, particularly within its 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.