Chinese warships shadow PH-US-Australia drills in West Philippine Sea

MANILA, February 19 ------ Two Chinese warships were spotted shadowing the 14th Multilateral Maritime Cooperative Activity (MMCA) in the West Philippine Sea near Bajo de Masinloc.

According to Captain Adrian Vargas, PCG (DSC), Executive Officer of BRP Teresa Magbanua, the presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA-Navy) vessels appeared suddenly but remained outside the designated "operation box." "Bigla na lang silang lumitaw. So far, hindi naman sila lumapit sa ating 'operation box.' Tuloy-tuloy pa rin naman 'yung ating naging activity. Wala namang radio challenge. They are shadowing what we are doing. We presume that they are exercising their freedom of navigation, so we opted not to challenge since hindi naman sila nag-distract sa ating activity," Vargas said.

Despite their presence, the joint exercises between the Philippines, the United States, and Australia proceeded without interference. The 14th MMCA brought together units from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), USINDOPACOM, and the Australian Defense Force (ADF). Various naval exercises were carried out during the activity, including a Communication Exercise, Maritime Domain Awareness, Joint Patrol, Division Tactics, a Photo Exercise, Replenishment at Sea, and a "hotwash" debriefing.

Four surface assets were deployed for the activity: the PCG’s flagship vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua; the Philippine Navy's BRP Diego Silang, which participated in the MMCA for the first time since being commissioned in December; and the USS Dewey and HMAS Toowoomba from the United States and Australia, respectively. Several air assets from the three participating countries also joined the exercise. Captain Alvin Dagalea, PCG (DSC), Commanding Officer of BRP Teresa Magbanua, emphasized that these engagements are more than just routine drills—they are critical stepping stones for the PCG's debut in Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC) 2026. "Pinapakita natin 'yung ating kapasidad ng Coast Guard, also the other participating units like the Philippine Navy. We are showing our capability in terms of security and safety sa ating maritime jurisdictions, especially in the West Philippine Sea," he said.

RIMPAC 2026, the 30th iteration of the world’s largest international maritime exercise, is scheduled for June to July 2026, primarily in and around Hawaii. Organized by the US Indo-Pacific Command, it will involve 37 invited nations, making it the largest RIMPAC to date and coinciding with the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration. As the 14th MMCA concludes, the PCG shared that preparations are underway for the 15th MMCA, scheduled for February 23-27, 2026. The BRP Teresa Magbanua is set to continue its mission, with Japan and the United States expected to join the upcoming drills to further promote the security and safety within the country's maritime jurisdictions.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com