The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) stated on Tuesday that it is unbothered by the growing presence of Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessels in Philippine waters, emphasizing that the military is ready for potentially heightened maritime law enforcement actions by China.
“We are not bothered by this. We have been expecting this,” said Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo.
According to Trinidad, the military tracked approximately 77 CCG vessels within Philippine territory from January to June this year, a noticeable rise from the 68 vessels logged during the same period last year.
He suggested the uptick signals a shifting strategy, noting, “This indicates that the functions to be performed that we could expect (is) more law enforcement functions for this year.”
Despite the higher vessel count, Trinidad reassured the public that military planners actively track maritime movements to guide force projection and prepare appropriate counter-measures.
“Any changes in the deployment of the adversary, your AFP is prepared to respond accordingly,” Trinidad said, adding that continuous surveillance remains a routine aspect of the military’s day-to-day operations and strategic forecasting.