THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday confirmed that People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy warships have indeed conducted drills within Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal) as Beijing continues to flex its muscles in the entire South China Sea.
Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, said the drills were monitored from July 31 and Aug. 1 and involved five warships, one replenishment ship, two hovercraft, two helicopters and an unidentified number of fighter aircraft.
“After numerous fake messages of drills being conducted by the PLA Navy, this is the first time that we have observed and monitored, then conducted it. Whether this could be sustained or not is still the big question,” Trinidad told reporters in a briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
“It coincided with the celebration of the 99th anniversary of the PLA last Aug 1. As to whether this is a sustainable activity is questionable,” he added.
Noticeably, the exercises followed the conduct of the 17th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) conducted from July 21 to 25 in the waters west of Zambales and east of Bajo de Masinloc involving the AFP, the United States Indo-Pacific Command and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.
The Philippines deployed one warship, various aircraft from the Air Force and the Navy, and two Philippine Coast Guard ships. The US sent the USS George Washington (CVN 73) Carrier Strike Group while Japan showcased one warship. Both the US and Japan also brought in their coast guard.
Trinidad said a carrier strike group has a general composition of an aircraft carrier, a cruiser, three or four destroyers with accompanying aircraft and submarine support.
Trinidad clarified that the recently concluded MMCA is not a reaction to China’s recent aggression in the West Philippine Sea as such activities are programmed, planned, approved and scheduled for an entire year.
MMCAs are joint operational patrols and tactical exercises held by allied countries within shared or specific exclusive economic zones.
While Chinese maritime forces were spotted, there was no report of any interference by the PLA Navy, the coast guard and the maritime militia during the MMCA.
Philippine authorities, however, maintain that these Chinese military displays and exercises do not at all alter the legal status of the maritime feature or invalidate the Philippines' entitlements under international law and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
48 Chinese ships in July
Meanwhile, 48 Chinese ships were monitored in four key maritime features within the West Philippine Sea for the month of July.
There were 14 vessels in Ayungin Shoal, 22 in Bajo de Masinloc, four in Escoda Shoal and eight within Pag-asa Islands.
Trinidad said these figures underscore the continued conduct of illegal, coercive, aggressive, and deceptive activities of China that undermine rules-based international order and challenge the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its maritime domain.
“Such actions contribute to regional tensions and highlight the importance of continued vigilance and adherence to international law,” Trinidad said.
