PCG tightens security around Philippine Rise

The Philippine Coast Guard tightened security at Philippine Rise or Benham Rise and around the resource-rich area east of Luzon, according to a report on Unang Balita on Monday.

Patrols by BRP Suluan, a multi-role response vessel, and PCG's Islander 251 aircraft increased in frequency around the area. No foreign vessels have so far been detected.

China "noted" the Philippines' protest against its naming of five underwater features around Philippine Rise, which were approved by the International Hydrographic Organization.

While the government has not prioritized the issue, critics including the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (NAMRIA) has pushed the administration to take the matter seriously as it may impact the Philippines' rights to the area.

On the other hand, the government is pushing for a joint mineral survey with China in the West Philippine Sea, a move that has been criticized for supposedly undermining the Philippines' victory in an international tribunal for rights over its exclusive economic zone. —Rie Takumi/KG, GMA News