AFP monitors 4 Chinese warships, replenishment vessel off Samar

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday said it has monitored a Chinese surface action group composed of four warships and one replenishment ship off Samar from mid-August to early September.

At a press briefing, AFP spokesperson for West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad noted that the concerned area was a normal shipping route.

“We monitored the presence of a surface action group northeastern part of the country from the middle part of August until the early days of September,” Trinidad said.

“Four warships and one replenishment ship conducted a series of surface activities,” he added.

The group of Chinese vessels eventually reached the eastern side of Samar, where it was monitored around 45 nautical miles from the shoreline.

“This is a normal shipping route of ships, not only warships coming from the northern part of the Philippines, specifically mainland China, Japan, South Korea that would like to traverse to Indonesia or Australia,” Trinidad said.

“Historically, the PLA Navy would be sending their ships on exercises following that route down to Indonesian waters going up through Sibutu Passage. They could exit through Verde Island Passage just south of Batangas or Balabac Passage just south of Palawan or Busuanga Passage north of Palawan,” he added.

The AFP monitors the vessels more closely when they approach these maritime choke points, according to Trinidad.

“Yes, innocent passage or freedom of navigation. They were quite far from our shorelines when they passed the eastern seaboard,” he said. — RSJ, GMA News