More than 13K vessels monitored within PH EEZ in July —AFP

The Armed Forces of the Philippines said Tuesday that almost 13,000 local and foreign vessels have been monitored within the country's exclusive economic zone in July.

“The 13k is the maritime traffic passing through our maritime zones. We now have the capability to monitor our maritime domain,” AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a message to reporters.

Trinidad also shared that there were 10,782 foreign vessels and 2,214 local vessels, bringing the total to 12,996 vessels.

Of the number, 46 vessels were from the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) and the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

This was lower than the 49 CCG and PLAN vessels sighted within the EEZ in June.

“Maconsider ko naman [ang decrease] na negligible, (I can consider [the decrease] as negligible,) could be due to the maintenance and repair sched[ule],” said Trinidad.

He noted that it was difficult to determine the reason why the vessels were present within the EEZ.

“Hindi nating masabi kung tinetyempuhan tayo, or kung dumadaan lang sila, or may kinoconduct na illegal na research. Ang importante, nagmamasid tayo at pag may na detect tayo ay nakapag-responde tayo sa kanila,” Trinidad said in a Super Radyo dzBB interview.

(We can’t say if they’re biding their time, or if they’re just passing by, or if they’re conducting illegal research. What’s important is that we are observing, and if we detect anything, we immediately respond to them.)

Beijing continues to claim most of the South China Sea, including territories claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines’ claims over the South China Sea. However, China refused to acknowledge this decision. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/AOL, GMA Integrated News