The Philippine Navy (PN) disproved allegations of the sighting of several Chinese warships in Camarines Norte on Monday night, Feb. 17.
Lt. John Emmanuel Sison, director of Naval Forces Southern Luzon (Navforsol) public affairs office, said what the locals spotted were not Chinese warships but foreign vessels composed of the French Navy, United States Navy, and Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) which were conducting drills as part of the “Exercise Pacific Stellar 2025” hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea.
According to Sison, locals first reported the sighting of unknown vessels approximately 109 nautical miles northeast of Polillio Island last Feb. 14.
On social media, netizens quickly assumed these were Chinese vessels what with the recent monitoring of its ships intruding into the Philippines’ archipelagic waters.
Jose Panganiban Municipal Mayor Ariel Non was among those who expressed concern on Facebook as he urged the coast guard and police to verify the sighting.
However, upon verification by the Navy, it turned out that the vessels were identified as the following:
US Navy
- USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70) Nimitz-class carrier
- USS Princeton (CG-59) Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruiser
- USS Sterrett (DDG-104) Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
- USS William P Lawrence (DDG-110) Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer
- USS Emory S Land (AS-39) submarine tender
Japan (Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force)
- JS Kaga (DDH-184) helicopter carrier
- JS Akizuki (DD-115) Akizuki-class destroyer
France (French Navy)
-FS Charles De Gaulle (R-91) aircraft carrier
The ships were engaged in a multi-large-deck event (MLDE) “designed to advance coordination and cooperation among French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces,” according to Sison.
“As part of the scenario of the said exercise, the French Navy posed as enemy vessels. According to the US Pacific Fleet, this exercise is to promote a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific space for the benefit of French populations, interests, and those of their regional partners within the framework of international law,” Sison said, noting that the exercise began on Feb. 8.
He reiterated that the Navy remains vigilant in monitoring and patrolling the country’s maritime seas for the safety and security of the Filipinos.
The military and coast guard have been patrolling the country’s waters to ward off Chinese vessels intruding into the country’s waters.
Since Jan. 4, the China Coast Guard (CCG) has maintained a deployment of its vessels off the coast of Zambales. Some of the ships even reached Pangasinan. A Chinese research vessel was also spotted sailing the eastern waters of Palawan last week, which headed north before it exited the country’s waters.