The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) defended the passage of the US Navy vessel USS Charleston near the Kalayaan Island Group after China’s military accused it of entering Chinese territory without permission.
Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad, AFP spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, rejected the People’s Liberation Army’s claim, saying Escoda Shoal was under Philippine jurisdiction, according to RH Edniel Parrosa on DZRH's Damdaming Bayan.
Trinidad cited the 2016 arbitral ruling, which rejected China’s sweeping historic rights claims in the South China Sea.
The AFP described the US vessel’s passage as an exercise of “freedom of navigation” involving allied countries.
Meanwhile, AFP monitoring from October 13 to 19 recorded two Chinese warships near Escoda Shoal. They were among 31 Chinese vessels monitored in the West Philippine Sea during the period.
