AFP: 4 PLA Navy ships sailed through Palawan's Balabac

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Friday confirmed the passage of four People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels through the Balabac Strait between Palawan and Borneo.

In a statement, AFP Public Affairs Office chief Colonel Xerxes Trinidad said the PLAN destroyer Luyang III (DDG-168) and frigate Jiangkai II (FFG-570) were spotted in the strait heading southwest
at 13 knots at 1:49 p.m. on June 19.

Two other PLAN vessels - the destroyer Renhai (CG-105) and the replenishment oiler Fuchi (AOR-907) - were monitored moving southwest through the strait at 15 knots at 3:56 p.m.

Trinidad said that as part of the standard operating procedure, the Chinese Navy vessels were challenged. The AFP official said the ships had responded accordingly.

Trinidad said the area was commonly used by international vessels passing through our waters.

''Our capability to monitor and respond to such activities is a testament to our commitment to maritime domain awareness and the protection of our territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights. Rest assured, the AFP remains vigilant in safeguarding our maritime interests,'' he said.

A former barangay chairman in Onok Island in Balabac, Palawan had said he and his group were on their way home from a medical mission on an island when they spotted two of the Chinese ships.

The former chairman said they initially thought the ships were Philippine vessels until they saw the Chinese flags.

A doctor who was part of the medical mission said one of the foreign ships moved as close as one kilometer.

By the doctor's estimate, the Chinese vessels were already on the municipal waters of Balabac.

Early this month, the Philippine Navy said nearly 150 Chinese vessels were found in various maritime features in the West Philippine Sea.

From June 4 to 10, the Navy said it spotted a total of 146 Chinese vessels in eight maritime features: 108 Chinese Maritime Militia vessels (CMMV), 22 were People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels, and 16 China Coast Guard vessels (CCGV).

The number of vessels spotted during the period was higher than the 125 vessels monitored from May 28 to June 3. — DVM, GMA Integrated News