The Navy has increased the frequency of patrols in the hotly contested West Philippine Sea, where Chinese vessels continue to intrude.
“We have improved the frequency of our patrols. I can’t give you the exact figures, but I should say our operational commands have increased the tempo of patrols,” Navy Chief Toribio Adaci said on the sidelines of the Maritime Security Symposium on Tuesday.
“We give it to our sailors because they continue to perform their mandate patrolling in the area even though the… other side is there,” he added.
On April 29, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported more than 100 Chinese militia vessels were roaming the waters off Julian Felipe Reef.
On April 23, a Chinese coast guard ship sailed into the path of the BRP Malapascua near Ayungin Shoal, causing a near collision. Journalists on board the Filipino vessel and another one witnessed the incident.
The Philippine Navy and the PCG are among the members of the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), created to safeguard and monitor the country’s territorial waters.
Many security experts have urged the government to prioritize the modernization of the PCG to stand up to China’s provocative tactics in the West Philippine Sea.
The PCG currently has three vessels that can conduct patrols in the area.
Meanwhile, maritime law expert Dr. Jay Batongbacal said the current administration is doing a good job in handling the tension in the West Philippine Sea.
“But we also now need to consider longer term and follow actions through,” he added.
Batongbacal also said that in order to rightfully claim the disputed territory, the country needs to make China accept and recognize international law.
In July 2016, the UN Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague invalidated the nine-dash claims of China covering the entire South China Sea and recognized the Philippines’ sovereign rights in the area within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone.
Beijing has been ignoring the international ruling and has deployed hundreds of militia vessels to bully and intimidate local fishermen and other boats.
Meanwhile, the Navy said its missile frigate BRP Antonio Luna (FF-151) joined the at-sea-phase of the first ASEAN-India exercises in the South China Sea from May 7 to 8.
“The participation of BRP Antonio Luna in AIME 2023 underscores the PN’s commitment to building bridges of friendship, as well as promoting regional cooperation for peace and security in the ASEAN region,” Ensign Menoel R. Orpilla, the PN public affairs office chief aboard the ship, said in a statement Tuesday.
He added that the at-sea-phase “comprises numerous events involving ships, conducted with ASEAN member-states’ navies and Indian Navy counterparts.”
Orpilla said BRP Antonio Luna left Changi Naval Base in Singapore May 5 for the exercise.
The BRP Antonio Luna arrived in Singapore on May 1.