A Philippine Navy patrol mission in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) faced close monitoring from Chinese naval forces near Bajo de Masinloc (Scarborough Shoal), highlighting ongoing maritime tensions in the disputed area.

The Philippine Navy vessel BRP Diego Silang was conducting a routine maritime patrol when it was intercepted and shadowed by four Chinese warships, escalating from an earlier presence of just one vessel in the morning.

During the encounter, both sides engaged in radio communications, with Chinese forces instructing the Philippine ship to leave the area, while the Philippine Navy maintained that it was operating within its lawful jurisdiction and continued its mission.Despite being outnumbered, the BRP Diego Silang proceeded with its patrol.

As part of its operations, the vessel deployed an Agusta 109 helicopter while sailing at a speed of around 18 knots, demonstrating its operational capability during the mission.

Chinese authorities later accused the helicopter of entering what they claim to be their airspace without authorization, while the Philippine side firmly rejected this, stressing compliance with international maritime rules and asserting freedom of navigation in the area.

Chinese naval ship 554 reportedly closely monitored the Philippine vessel for several hours as it approached within approximately 20 nautical miles of Bajo de Masinloc.Philippine Navy officials reiterated their commitment to asserting the country’s maritime rights and jurisdiction over the area.

In a separate aerial component of the patrol, a Philippine Navy helicopter conducted surveillance over the shoal at low altitude and observed that a previously reported structure had already been removed.Meanwhile, a Chinese aircraft also flew overhead at higher altitude during the operation.The mission concluded without any reported untoward incident.

The patrol occurred shortly after multinational military exercises involving the Philippines, United States, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia, reflecting heightened regional security cooperation amid ongoing territorial disputes in the West Philippine Sea.