Naval, air exercises held in PH waters
NAVAL and air units of the Philippines, Canada and the United States are conducting the 7th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ). In a statement Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the participants are demonstrating their "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific." These exercises are expected to boost the cooperation and interoperability of participating naval and air units, he said. "The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states," Brawner said. He added that the 7th MMCA underscores the shared commitment to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight. This includes other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international laws, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), Brawner said. The 1st MMCA took place in April 2024, followed by the 2nd and 3rd held in June and August of the same year. The 4th and 5th took place in September and December 2024, respectively, while the 6th MMCA transpired on Feb. 5 this year. AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercise was being held in the West Philippine Sea but declined to say what ships and aircraft were involved. The 6th MMCA was conducted less than three weeks after the Philippines and the US carried out joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea on Jan. 17 and 18, which were joined by the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, two guided missile destroyers, two helicopters and two F-18 Hornet aircraft. Three vessels from the Philippine Navy, including a guided-missile frigate, participated in the joint sail. Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said its vessel BRP Cabra successfully confronted and expelled the Chinese research vessel Lan Hai 101, one of China's largest fisheries research ships, which was found operating about 25 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan. The PCG asserted that the presence of Lan Hai 101 within the Philippines' EEZ constitutes a violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, Unclos, and the 2016 Arbitral Award. This move underscores the Philippines' commitment to defending its maritime sovereignty against foreign incursions, the PCG said. The Chinese vessel was first tracked near Palawan before maneuvering towards Luzon's strategically critical Verde Island Passage. It was also detected just 17 nautical miles from Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, dangerously close to the Philippines' 12-nautical-mile territorial waters. The Philippine Navy earlier identified the Chinese research vessel operating in the eastern waters of Palawan, as confirmed by Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the West Philippine Sea. The vessel's presence was detected by the Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS) Melville, which immediately issued a challenge. "In response to the challenge issued by LMS Melville, the crew aboard Lan Hai 101 communicated that their rerouting through the eastern waters of Palawan was necessitated by adverse sea conditions on the western side," Trinidad said. "They assured us that the vessel would continue its transit while adhering to the rights of innocent passage through the Philippine archipelagic sea lanes, opting to exit near Coron, Palawan," he added. To reinforce sovereignty and maritime security, the Western Command deployed the Philippine Navy vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio alongside the PCG's BRP Melchora Aquino to escort Lan Hai 101. In a separate development, the BRP Cabra also successfully deterred the China Coast Guard vessel CCG-3304 from approaching the Zambales coastline. Despite being significantly smaller in size, BRP Cabra managed to maintain a distance of 78 to 85 nautical miles between the Chinese vessel and the Philippines' EEZ. The PCG said it remains resolute in its mission to safeguard Philippine territorial integrity and prevent unlawful Chinese incursions. "We will not allow any alterations to the status quo through encroachment on Luzon's coastline. The continued presence of BRP Cabra illustrates our unwavering dedication to upholding our sovereign rights and standing firm against violations of international law while prioritizing a peaceful resolution," the PCG said. Also on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader France Tolentino urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to quickly develop guidelines for establishing a West Philippine Sea Command.
Tomas Kauer - Moderator 
NAVAL and air units of the Philippines, Canada and the United States are conducting the 7th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).
In a statement Wednesday, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said the participants are demonstrating their "collective commitment to strengthen regional and international cooperation in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific."
These exercises are expected to boost the cooperation and interoperability of participating naval and air units, he said.
"The activity will be conducted in a manner consistent with international law and with due regard for the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states," Brawner said.
He added that the 7th MMCA underscores the shared commitment to upholding the right to freedom of navigation and overflight.
This includes other lawful uses of the sea and international airspace, as well as respect for maritime rights under international laws, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos), Brawner said.
The 1st MMCA took place in April 2024, followed by the 2nd and 3rd held in June and August of the same year.
The 4th and 5th took place in September and December 2024, respectively, while the 6th MMCA transpired on Feb. 5 this year.
AFP public affairs office chief Col. Xerxes Trinidad said the exercise was being held in the West Philippine Sea but declined to say what ships and aircraft were involved.
The 6th MMCA was conducted less than three weeks after the Philippines and the US carried out joint maritime exercises in the South China Sea on Jan. 17 and 18, which were joined by the Carl Vinson carrier strike group, two guided missile destroyers, two helicopters and two F-18 Hornet aircraft.
Three vessels from the Philippine Navy, including a guided-missile frigate, participated in the joint sail.
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said its vessel BRP Cabra successfully confronted and expelled the Chinese research vessel Lan Hai 101, one of China's largest fisheries research ships, which was found operating about 25 nautical miles off the coast of Pangasinan.
The PCG asserted that the presence of Lan Hai 101 within the Philippines' EEZ constitutes a violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, Unclos, and the 2016 Arbitral Award. This move underscores the Philippines' commitment to defending its maritime sovereignty against foreign incursions, the PCG said.
The Chinese vessel was first tracked near Palawan before maneuvering towards Luzon's strategically critical Verde Island Passage. It was also detected just 17 nautical miles from Lubang, Occidental Mindoro, dangerously close to the Philippines' 12-nautical-mile territorial waters.
The Philippine Navy earlier identified the Chinese research vessel operating in the eastern waters of Palawan, as confirmed by Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, spokesman for the West Philippine Sea. The vessel's presence was detected by the Littoral Monitoring Station (LMS) Melville, which immediately issued a challenge.
"In response to the challenge issued by LMS Melville, the crew aboard Lan Hai 101 communicated that their rerouting through the eastern waters of Palawan was necessitated by adverse sea conditions on the western side," Trinidad said.
"They assured us that the vessel would continue its transit while adhering to the rights of innocent passage through the Philippine archipelagic sea lanes, opting to exit near Coron, Palawan," he added.
To reinforce sovereignty and maritime security, the Western Command deployed the Philippine Navy vessel BRP Andres Bonifacio alongside the PCG's BRP Melchora Aquino to escort Lan Hai 101.
In a separate development, the BRP Cabra also successfully deterred the China Coast Guard vessel CCG-3304 from approaching the Zambales coastline. Despite being significantly smaller in size, BRP Cabra managed to maintain a distance of 78 to 85 nautical miles between the Chinese vessel and the Philippines' EEZ.
The PCG said it remains resolute in its mission to safeguard Philippine territorial integrity and prevent unlawful Chinese incursions.
"We will not allow any alterations to the status quo through encroachment on Luzon's coastline. The continued presence of BRP Cabra illustrates our unwavering dedication to upholding our sovereign rights and standing firm against violations of international law while prioritizing a peaceful resolution," the PCG said.
Also on Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader France Tolentino urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro to quickly develop guidelines for establishing a West Philippine Sea Command.
