PALAWAN, Philippines — A vessel from China's People's Liberation Army Navy, identified by its bow number 578, was detected on Sunday morning within close proximity to the ongoing "Balikatan" multilateral maritime exercise off the coast of Palawan. The ship was spotted approximately seven to eight nautical miles from the exercise flotilla, navigating in the northern waters of Palawan as of the latest reports, stated Western Command (Wescom) spokesperson Capt. Ariel Joseph Coloma.
According to Philippines News Agency, the Wescom is actively monitoring the Chinese naval vessel and reporting its activities as part of their standard procedure. "I cannot speak for them, but we are monitoring them, and we record then we report whatever our ships are monitoring in the area," Coloma remarked during an interview. He further noted that a different PLAN vessel, with bow number 793 spotted the previous day, was no longer in the area.
The maritime exercises, which started on April 25 and will conclude on April 29, involved Filipino, American, and French naval vessels conducting search and rescue training alongside a photographic exercise on Sunday. The ships participating included the Philippine Navy's offshore patrol vessel BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PS-16) and landing dock BRP Davao Del Sur (LD-602); the US Navy's landing ship dock USS Harpers Ferry (LSD-49); and the French Navy's Floreal-class frigate FS Vendémiaire (FFH-734).
Despite the presence of the uninvited PLAN vessel, Capt. Coloma stated that there was no provocation and the ongoing exercises were not disrupted. "As long as we continue to monitor and report them, we are in control of the situation, and besides, the exercises are still ongoing," he added.