Lorenzana awaiting report on Chinese Coast Guard vessel sighting in Ayungin Shoal

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Tuesday said he has not received the official report on the Chinese Coast Guard vessel that was allegedly spotted by the Western Command (Wescom) in Ayungin Shoal.

At the sidelines of the welcome ceremony for the BRP Conrado Yap, Lorenzana said he would wait for the official report to determine the appropriate actions to take.

“We haven’t received the official report ano so we’re trying to get from Wescom,” Lorenzana told reporters.

“We wait for the report to validate it and then we will think of what our response will be,” he added.

Wescom said the ship was first sighted on August 1. It added that the vessel only leaves the area when it runs out of supplies.

Authorities also said the vessel, which has been on standby for three weeks, could be monitoring the situation in the West Philippine Sea.

Ayungin Shoal is about 105 nautical miles from Palawan and is part of the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. — BM, GMA News