WPS spokesperson: 3 Chinese Navy vessels leaving EEZ

One of the three Chinese PLA Navy vessels monitored to have entered Philippine waters on Sunday (PHOTO COURTESY OF AFP-WESTMINCOM)
MANILA – Naval and air assets of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are keeping a tight watch on three People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels even as they were detected leaving the country’s territory.
The Northern Luzon Command, Western Command, Central Command and Western Mindanao Command are joining forces in constantly tracking the Chinese Navy ships.
“We started tracking the presence of these three Navy ships last 1 February from Bajo de Masinloc and then one of those ships from Bajo de Masinloc proceeded southward. It was tracked by one of our ships, FF-150 (guided-missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal),” Philippine Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said in media briefing Tuesday.
Trinidad said the PLAN ship was joined by two others — another warship and a replenishment oiler. They were tracked by BRP Andres Bonifacio, BRP Apolinario Mabini, four other Navy ships, one Philippine Navy aircraft and two Philippine Air Force aircraft.
As of 7:30 a.m., the ships were detected some 120 nautical miles south of Basilan.
Article continues after this advertisement“So palabas na siya sa ating (they are now leaving our) exclusive economic zone (EEZ),” Trinidad said.
Article continues after this advertisementHe said the route taken by the three PLAN vessels — from Bajo de Masinloc, to east of Mindoro, through Cuyo Island and to Sulu Sea — was the “generally accepted north to south passage” but using normal speed and without stopping.
“This is the shortest route coming from the northern part of the country if you would like to exit in the southern part,” he said.
“When passing through archipelagic waters under archipelagic sea lanes passage, ships will have to travel continuously and (at) the fastest possible speed or the most expeditious speed. Meaning to say normal speed without stopping, without doing anything that would endanger the coastal state,” he added.
However, in the case of the PLAN naval vessels, Trinidad said the ships were monitored to be “traveling at times 30 knots, 40 knots.”
There were also times when they slowed down to six or five knots, he added.
Th PLAN vessels were challenged all the way but did not reply according to procedures.
“They replied but not in accordance (with) standard procedures. Standard procedure is that you would identify yourself, you would state where you came from, where you’re heading to. The only reply given to Western Mindanao Command was that they are exercising freedom of navigation and innocent passage,” he said.
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