By Priam Nepomuceno | August 4, 2026

MANILA – A total of 48 Chinese naval and coast guard vessels were monitored across four key features of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) in July, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) announced on Tuesday.

In a message to the Philippine News Agency, AFP spokesperson for the WPS, Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said the ships from the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and the China Coast Guard vessels (CCG) were detected in Ayungin Shoal, Bajo de Masinloc, Escoda Shoal, and Pag-asa Islands.

Of the total, 14 vessels (13 CCGV and one PLAN) were recorded at Ayungin Shoal, 22 (19 CCGV and three PLAN) at Bajo de Masinloc, four (three CCGV, one PLAN) at Escoda Shoal, and eight (five CCGV, three PLAN) at Pag-asa Islands.

“These figures underscore the continued conduct of ICAD (illegal, coercive, aggressive and deceptive) activities that undermine the rules-based international order and challenge the Philippines’ sovereign rights and jurisdiction within its maritime domain,” the AFP spokesperson said.

Trinidad said such actions contribute to regional tensions and highlight the importance of continued vigilance and adherence to international law.

“Despite these developments, the Philippine Navy (PN) and the AFP remain steadfast in fulfilling their mandate to safeguard the nation’s maritime interests,” he said.

Through sustained operational presence, enhanced maritime domain awareness, strengthened inter-agency coordination, and continued capability development, Trinidad said the AFP remains committed to protecting national sovereignty, upholding maritime security, and promoting peace, stability, and the rule of law in the WPS.

The 48 ships sighted at the WPS last July are lower than the 74 detected last June.

NO EFFECT TO PHL LEGAL CLAIM

On Monday, August 3,Trinidad also said that no amount of Chinese military exercise can alter the country’s legal claim to Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal).

“Military activities or demonstrations do not alter the legal status of maritime features or the Philippines’ maritime entitlements under international law,” Trinidad told the Philippine News Agency when sought for a reaction on the reported Chinese naval and air combat drills conducted off Bajo de Masinloc last Aug. 1.

He said the Chinese military activity has “been monitored and tracked” by the AFP.

“The AFP is aware of the reported naval-air combat drills in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc,” he said.

Likewise, the AFP spokesperson for the WPS said the military is committed to its mandate of protecting the country’s territory and safeguarding Philippine maritime rights and interests, consistent with the 2016 Arbitral Award, United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and national interest.

Earlier, China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command announced that it had conducted joint naval and air exercises in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc, which is located some 124 nautical miles from the Zambales coast.

The drills involved large Chinese bomber aircraft armed with anti-ship missiles and assorted naval and coast guard ships that took part in interception, boarding, inspection and towing drills.

The PLA Southern Theater Command said these exercises were undertaken “in light of the current situation in the South China Sea and in response to the acts of certain countries within the region that have undetermined the regional peace and stability.” (PNA)