Nearly two months since their first sighting at the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef, several Chinese ships still remained at the Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough or Panatag Shoal), Kalayaan Island Group (KIG), and Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Reef) amid sustained sovereignty patrols by the national government in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), a task force monitoring the developments in the troubled waters said Wednesday, April 28.
The National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said three Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels were found at Bajo de Masinloc, one CCG vessel was located within the municipality of Kalayaan in Palawan, and one CCG vessel was monitored in the Ayungin Shoal.
"These incursions are under review for the possible filing of appropriate diplomatic actions," the NTF-WPS said in a statement.
But the NTF-WPS clarified that no direct incident between the CCG and Filipino fishermen were reported from April 15 to 22, citing a report from the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG). It said an average of twenty Filipino fishing boats and service boats were monitored fishing within the territorial sea of Bajo de Masinloc.
It noted that continuous patrols were being conducted in the said areas "to assert the country's sovereignty and sovereign rights."
The inter-agency task force said the PCG, Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the Philippine National Police's Maritime Group (PNP-MG) were "closely coordinating" the regular deployment of patrol vessels in the country's maritime domain to ensure the safety of Filipino fishermen and the protection of the environment.
The NTF-WPS said BFAR has deployed its Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance (MCS) vessels and Multi-Mission Offshore Vessels (MMOV) to Kalayaan, Palawan to keep watch against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing (IUUF). The BFAR vessels were collaborating with the patrol ships and aircraft from the PCG.
Meanwhile, high-speed tactical watercraft, police gun boats, and police fast boats from the PNP-MG were on standby for law enforcement patrols.
Police personnel will also be posted as "shipriders" in the Kalayaan, Palawan where they will board PCG, Philippine Navy (PN), and BFAR vessels while conducting sovereignty patrols.
Further, the Area Task Force West led by the military's Western Mindanao Command (WestMinCom) and the Area Task Force North led by the Northern Luzon Command (NoLCom) have dedicated naval vessels and aircraft for sovereignty patrols on a rotational basis over Kalayaan, Bajo de Masinloc, and the rest of the western seaboard, the NTF-WPS added.
"Our government shall not waver in pursuing peaceful, rules-based and proactive initiatives on environmental protection, safety of navigation, maritime, and food security within our maritime domains," the NTF-WPS stated.
On March 7, around 220 Chinese vessels were discovered in mass formation at the Julian Felipe Reef. It later dispersed to Kalayaan Island Group and other parts of the WPS.
On April 14, the NTF-WPS said the number swelled to more than 240 as China continues to defy calls from the Philippine government to recall their ships, maritime militia vessels, and fishing boats.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have repeatedly filed diplomatic protests against the repeated incursion of Chinese vessels in the Philippine exclusive economic zone (EEZ).