The number of Chinese fishing vessels sighted at the Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) has gone down to 183 from 220, Lt. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), disclosed on Tuesday, March 23.
Sobejana said that the military will coordinate with the National Task Force (NTF) for the West Philippine Sea to decide what next steps to take after the confirmed presence of Chinese vessels in the Philippine territory.
"Understandably, our mandate is to secure our territory so we really oppose any act of incursion in our territorial waters, including in our exclusive economic zone (EEZ)," Sobejana said.
"On the other hand, the NTF-WPS takes into consideration other means so jointly we will assess and we will decide what is the best course of action that we can take in the area," he added.
For now, the country's top military commander said he ordered the continuous conduct of maritime patrols in the WPS to monitor if the vessels, believed to be manned by Chinese militia, will be increased or further decreased.
"We will have a joint assessment with the NTF-WPS then as what I've said, that will dictate our subsequent course of action," Sobejana stated.
Citing reports from the Philippine Coast Guard, the NTF-WPS said that around 220 Chinese vessels have been spotted while moored at the Julian Felipe Reef since March 7.
The reef is located at the northeast of Pagkakaisa (Union) Banks and Reefs, approximately 175 nautical miles west of Bataraza, Rizal.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila confirmed Monday the presence of Chinese vessels at the Julian Felipe Reef, which it calls Niu'e Jiao and claims as part of their territory. However, the Embassy insisted that the vessels are only fishing boats that sought refuge in the area due to rough sea conditions.
This, after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana issued a strongly-worded statement last Sunday, calling on the Chinese government to recall their boats and stop their incursion in the territory of the Philippines.
But Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque opted for a softer stance and said that the Philippines and China could resolve their differences due to their close ties under the administration of President Duterte.