MANILA: The Philippine Navy (PN) monitored 98 Chinese vessels of various kinds in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) from May 7 to 13. Based on the data from the PN released on Wednesday, these sightings can be broken down into the following: --eight China Coast Guard Vessels (CCGVs), two People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships and 18 Chinese maritime militia vessels (CMMVs) in Bajo de Masinloc; --six CCGVs and 25 CMMVs in Ayungin Shoal; --two CCGVs, two PLAN ships and 24 CMMVs in Pagasa Island; --one PLAN and two CMMVs in Kota Island; --one CMMV in Likas Island; --four CMMVs in Panata Island; --two CMMVs and one Chinese cargo ship in Patag Island. These are lower than the 105 Chinese vessels sighted in these features from April 30 to May 6. "There was a decrease from the previous week, from 129 pre-'Balikatan' to 108 just after 'Balikatan', down to 98 as of yesterday (Monday) so we see a downward trend," said Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the WPS. Source: Philippines News Ag ency
Sunday, October 20, 2024