PH Navy: 62 Chinese ships spotted in WPS features in February 2026

A total of 62 Chinese vessels including warships were monitored over some features in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in February, the Philippine Navy said on Tuesday.

Based on the update from Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS  Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Chinese ships were seen in the following areas:

• Bajo de Masinloc - 23 Chinese vessels (11 People's Liberation Army Navy vessels, 12 China Coast Guard vessels)
• Ayungin Shoal - 17 vessels (two PLANs, 15 CCGs)
• Escoda Shoal - 13 vessels (six PLANs, seven CCGs)
• Pagasa Island - nine vessels (five PLANs, four CCGs)

"These figures reflect continued illegal CCP presence in areas wherein the Philippines exercises sovereignty, jurisdiction, and sovereignty rights," Trinidad said.

"In line with the national policy, the AFP remains committed to safeguarding national territory, sovereignty, and sovereign rights, while upholding international law and contributing to regional police and stability," he added.

In the past week from February 22 to March 1, Trinidad said 34 Chinese vessels have been monitored in WPS features.

This is higher compared to the 18 recorded in the previous week from February 15 to 22.

WPS escalation due to US-Iran conflict?

Considering that the United States is an ally of the Philippines in the territorial issue, Trinidad was asked if China expressing support to Iran against Washington would escalate the tension in the WPS.

“Even without conflicts in other parts of the world in this particular case, the Middle East, the illegal presence of the Chinese Communist Party…their coercive and aggressive actions are already reasons for concern,” he said.

He said the EDCA sites with US won’t be a target.

“There's been no credible threat monitored against the country against the EDCA sites which are Philippine bases. The conflict in the Middle East is a regional conflict,” he said.

“The largest missile system of the [Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] would only reach up to 2,000 km. We are 7,500 km away. The IRGC or Iran does not have any state or non-state proxy in this part of the globe. Hence, we are not under any threat from them,” he added.

For Trinidad, there has been no significant decrease in support from the US in activities related to the WPS despite Washington’s operations against Iran.

“There's been no marked observed downscale in the support of our treaty ally or even other like-minded nations when it comes to West Philippine Sea activities especially multilateral maritime cooperative activity (MMCA) even maybe forthcoming exercises,” he said.

“The MMCA recently conducted is a classic example of that. So there's been no marked dip in the support of our treaty ally,” he added.

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Parts of the South China Sea that fall within Philippine territory have been renamed by the government as West Philippine Sea to reinforce the country’s claim.

The West Philippine Sea refers to the maritime areas on the western side of the Philippine archipelago including Luzon Sea and the waters around, within and adjacent to the Kalayaan Island Group and Bajo de Masinloc.

In 2016, the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis."

China has refused to recognize the decision. —AOL, GMA Integrated News