Armed Forces of the Philippines Spokesperson MGen. Edgard Arevalo on Sunday said air and maritime assets have been deployed to conduct sovereignty patrols following the reported presence of 220 Chinese maritime militia.
The patrols were conducted to “further validate the report.”
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) on Saturday said it received a report from the Coast Guard regarding the vessels “believed to be manned by Chinese maritime militia personnel” at the Julian Felipe Reef.
“Appropriate reports were made and forwarded to other agencies of government through the General Headquarters of such monitored number of CMM. These reports are made bases of filing appropriate actions not limited to filing diplomatic protests,” Arevalo disclosed.
“The AFP will not renege from our commitment to protect and defend our maritime interest within the bounds of the law,” he guaranteed.
The NTF-WPS in its report expressed concern over the incident, citing the possibility of overfishing, marine environment destruction, and safety of navigation risks.
The government has already assured continuous monitoring over the situation and pursuit of its initiatives in the West Philippine Sea. — PTV News Online
