MANILA, Philippines — Armed Forces chief Gen. Cirilito Sobejano on Monday said Chinese ships continue to be seen in the West Philippine Sea based on their patrols.
Two months have passed since Chinese vessels were spotted in the Julian Felipe (Whitsun) Reef which is part of the country's waters. Their prolonging stay in the area has led to Manila filing a series of diplomatic protests against Beijing.
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Despite this and some strongly-worded statements from officials, the presence of maritime assets from the latter continue in Philippine waters.
"I should say there are still Chinese vessels from their coast guard [and] their navy," Sobejana told "The Source" on CNN Philippines. "Some are militias and some are fishermen."
The AFP chief refused to say how many vessels were seen, and instead deferred to the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea to disclose the information.
But, he said some 10 Philippine Navy ships take turns in patrolling the area, per orders of Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana.
Sobejana added that radio challenges from Chinese ships are becoming frequent in their surface patrols.
"They now have a template, the Chinese Navy and Coast Guard saying 'this is our territory, get out from here,'" he said partly in Filipino. "But then, we are not intimidated by those challenges. We continue our route and ensure that our patrol plan is not disrupted."
'Turn Pag-asa Island into logistic hub'
The Philippines in recent years has sought to make repairs in the Pag-asa Island, which a US-based think tank last year reported having met delays.
As the country's ships patrol the waters, the AFP chief said they are proposing to convert in into a logistics hub. He said this as most of their supply and logistic operations continue to be held in Puerto Princesa.
"We are completing our plan," Sobejana said. "We want it to be very comprehensive. I am in talks with Governor Jose Alvarez of Palawan and he's very favorable to the idea."
He added that the military has no funding and other resources for this to date, but they will "make a strong representation" to the government to secure the budget.
The AFP, along with defense and foreign affairs officials, have actively opposed Chinese incursions in the country's waters.
But the tone is different in Malacañang, as President Rodrigo Duterte continues to equate asserting sovereignty to starting a war.
Last week, he likened the Philippines' arbitral win in 2016 to a piece of paper that he can just "throw away," visibly irked by the mounting criticism on his response to the issue.
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