By Priam Nepomuceno
MANILA – A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Monday denied claims that Chinese maritime forces expelled the BRP Apolinario Mabini (PS-36) while it was patrolling Panatag Shoal (also known as Scarborough Shoal and Huangyan Dao in Chinese) on April 20.
China earlier claimed that it had expelled the Filipino naval vessel for illegally intruding into Huangyan Dao without its approval.
In a message to the Philippine News Agency, PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad said the claim is just part of Beijing’s “malign information or shaping operations more likely intended for their internal audience.”
Trinidad stressed that only the PN and Philippine maritime law enforcement vessels have the authority to challenge foreign ships intruding in the country’s maritime zones.
“Only the PN and other Philippine flagged law enforcement ships have the authority and legal bases to challenge any ship within maritime zones,” he said. (PNA)
