Philippines Verifies Chinese Structures at Panatag Shoal as 19 Vessels Gather Nearby
Updated
Updated · Philstar.com · May 31
Philippines Verifies Chinese Structures at Panatag Shoal as 19 Vessels Gather Nearby
5 articles · Updated · Philstar.com · May 31
Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro said the Philippines is checking raw intelligence that China has built structures at Panatag Shoal, with the area under close AFP monitoring.
AFP surveillance from May 19 to 25 tracked 19 Chinese vessels near the shoal—10 PLA Navy warships and nine coast guard ships—out of 36 operating across four West Philippine Sea areas.
Military spokesman Roy Vincent Trinidad said the sustained presence appears aimed at normalizing Beijing’s control after China declared the area a nature reserve, a claim Manila rejects as illegal.
Teodoro said the dispute is with China’s government, not its people, and argued deterrence must continue as Philippine forces keep patrolling despite being outnumbered.
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