Ibinahagi ng Philippine Navy (PN) na may higit 200 Chinese vessels ang nakita sa paligid ng Mischief o Panganiban Reef sa Spratly Islands.
Sinabi ni Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, ang Navy spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS), na may halos 200 Chinese maritime militia vessels, 15 – 25 Chinese warships, at 10 – 15 China Coast Guard (CCG) ships ang madalas na umaaligid sa Mischief Reef.
Nabatid na ang Mischief Reef ay may distansiya lamang na 25o kilometro mula sa Palawan at 37 kilometro naman ang layo mula sa Ayungin Shoal, kung saan madalas ang isinasagawa ang resupply mission ng AFP.
Sabi pa ni Trinidad, minsan ay pakalat-kalat lamang ang mga sasakyang-pandagat ng China sa iba pang bahagi ng West Philippine Sea (WPS).
“The massing or the presence of the foreign warships, maritime militia or Chinese Coast Guard is a product of different factors that includes their operational tempo, that includes the weather in the area, that includes their projection in the West Philippine Sea,” dagdag pa ng opisyal.