PH Navy exec says WPS patrols ‘significantly boosted’

MANILA: Philippine Navy (PN) patrols in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have been significantly boosted in the past year, a ranking official said on Tuesday. PN spokesperson for WPS Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad made this response when asked on whether naval patrols will be deployed to counter the presence of the China Coast Guard's "monster ship" with bow number 5901, which is now in the vicinity of Sabina Shoal. "The PN has its own patrol plans through the Naval Forces West. So our vessels in the WPS have increased in the past months, past six months to one year," he said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, without elaborating specific details. Trinidad also said almost all of the PN's capital ships or major naval units are assigned or doing routine patrols in the WPS. "We have almost all of our capital ships already being assigned or doing routine patrols in the WPS, not only because of the 'monster ship'," Trinidad said. Source: Philippines News Agency