PH, Canada, Australia hold military drills in WPS

The militaries of the Philippines, Canada, and Australia held joint drills in the West Philippine Sea on Saturday.

According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the maritime cooperative activity was conducted west southwest off El Nido, Palawan, under Exercise ALON.

The naval assets that took part in the exercises, which included crossdeck hoisting and personnel exchange, were the BRP Jose Rizal (FF150) of the Philippine Navy, HMAS Brisbane (DDG41) of the Royal Australian Navy, and HMCS Ville de Québec (FFH332) of the Royal Canadian Navy.

"The engagement reflects a shared resolve to uphold a rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and reinforces the commitment of the Philippines, Australia, and Canada to promote freedom of navigation, regional stability, and collective maritime security," the AFP said.

The Philippines has been focused on strengthening its maritime capability amid an increasingly assertive China, which has repeatedly harassed and threatened Philippine vessels and aircraft in the West Philippine Sea, the portion of the South China Sea that is part of Manila's exclusive economic zone.

In 2013, the Philippine government challenged the validity of China's sweeping territorial claims in the South China Sea at the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. In 2016, Manila won the case against China, which refused to recognize the ruling. — VBL, GMA Integrated News