Chinese research ship spotted near Palawan, Northern Luzon

A Chinese research ship was spotted near the waters of Palawan and Northern Luzon, according to a "Saksi" report by Chino Gaston.

The report also said that from September 30 to October 6, at least 190 Chinese vessels were observed in the West Philippine Sea, which include 28 vessels from the China Coast Guard and the People's Liberation Army.

The Philippine Cost Guard said it would continue the monitor the foreign  ships, but added it has not seen any unusual movement.

“Wala naman report sa atin (We haven’t received any report) that there is something that we need to really… immediately address in the area. Continuous po ‘yung monitoring natin dito, (Our monitoring here is continuous.)” said AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla.

Meanwhile, security analyst Ray Powell noted that the country should also be wary of research ships.

“There may be research value in what they're doing. Maybe looking at the sea environment for submarine operations. There may also just be symbolic value, [such as] making a statement that this is what we're going to do, and you can’t stop us,” Powell said. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News