No signs of Chinese drills in Bajo de Masinloc – AFP

MANILA, Philippines — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday said that while Chinese ships have been sighted in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), there are no indications or signs that they are conducting tactical exercises, as they earlier claimed.

“The AFP has monitored the reported presence of PLAN (People’s Liberation Army Navy) and CCG (China Coast Guard) vessels in the vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc. Our coordinated maritime domain awareness confirms that their claims of coordinated military drills are completely unfounded,” AFP spokesperson for the WPS Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a message to the Philippine News Agency.

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Earlier, China announced it had conducted exercises and drills in Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) as part of its countermeasures against those who would violate its rights in the South China Sea.

“What our forces actually observed on the ground was merely a scattered presence of Chinese vessels operating independently. There was absolutely no monitored organized movement, tactical maneuvers or joint formations involving their ships or aircraft that would constitute a military exercise,” Trinidad said.

Trinidad maintained that the AFP remains vigilant and steadfast in monitoring the Philippine maritime domain, even as it advises the public against taking these propaganda narratives at face value.