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Navy says Chinese survey ship in Recto Bank, urges diplomatic protest


The Philippine Navy will request that a diplomatic protest be filed over Chinese forces' alleged survey activities at Recto Bank (Reed Bank), its chief Vice Admiral Giovanni Carlo Bacordo said on Monday.

In an online news forum, Bacordo said the Chinese vessel has no clearance to conduct a survey in the area. He said the Navy will submit a report to the Department of Defense.

"It has come to my attention the presence of two Chinese surveillance vessels in Recto Bank—right now I think there's only one. We have reported this already and we have checked if they have any clearance to conduct survey in that area. We found out there is none," Bacordo said.

"We would like to conclude that indeed they're conducting surveys because they have been there for about a week already and the speed is something less than three knots and you're only doing that if you're conducting actual surveys. We will be submitting this report to the Defense department and request for the filing of a diplomatic protest," he added.

Bacordo also said sending a Navy ship to Recto Bank to check the situation is also an option but that he would leave it to the commander in the Western Command. He added that he does not know yet if a vessel has already been deployed there.

"I will leave that to the area commander, to the operational commander of the Western Command," Bacordo said.

Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. has said he does not know of any permission for a Chinese survey vessel in the Philippines' exclusive economic zone, noting that he only knew that there were permissions for an American and French vessel.

Reports said the ship reportedly left China on July 22 and arrived at Recto Bank on August 6.

The foreign vessel was identified as Xiang Yang Hong 14. — BM, GMA News

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