5 Chinese warships spotted anew in PH waters

So there are other unannounced passing through of Chinese warships in Philippine waters.

Western Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Cirilito, said that Chinese warships have been spotted in Sibutu stait by the Philippine Navy (PN) on separated dates in July and three more just this month

“It was not an innocent passage kasi ang innocent passage straight line lang ‘yun. ‘Pag medyo nag-kurba that is no longer considered an innocent passage,” he said.

One of the five Chinese warships monitored by WestMInCom
(photo credit to PDI)

The Chinese navy warships presumably changed their course when it observed the Philippine Navy’s presence.

“Since nakita ‘yung presence natin agad naman silang umiwas, lumabas sa teritoryo ng ating bansa,” Sobejana added.

The warships have turned off their automatic identification systems on all occasions and they could not also be contacted through radio, Sobejana said.

“These are warships, their entry to our territory should be coordinated so we informed the national leadership,” he added. 

This follows the previous reports of similarly unannounced presence of Chinese warships and survey vessels within Philippine waters.

Defense Secretary has told the media that there were reported 4 instances that Chinese warships passed through Sibutu Strait since February.

Lorenzana said that foreign commercial ships have the right of innocent passage when passing through the country’s territorial waters, while foreign warships should notify Philippine authorities beforehand.

Located within the archipelagic and territorial waters of the Philippines, Sibutu Strait is an international waterway located near Tawi-Tawi.

The Western Mindanao Command(WestMinCom) also said last week that four (4) Chinese warships, including its aircraft carrier Liaoning, passed through the vicinity waters of Balabac town in Palawan in June without informing Philippine authorities.

What can you say about the article?

Share us your thoughts by simply leaving on the comment section below. For more news updates, feel free to visit our site often.

Stay updated with today's relevant news and trends by hitting the LIKE button.

Thanks for dropping by and reading this post.

Report from PDI