The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff on Monday said some Chinese vessels spotted in the West Philippine (South China) Sea were on legitimate missions. Gen. Gilbert Gapay said just the same, all ships, regardless of their purpose, werev being challenged by Philippine naval patrols. He attributed the increase in the number of Chinese vessels monitored in the West Philippine Sea to the AFP’s enhanced surveillance capability.

Reyes, D. (2020, December 8). Presence of Chinese ships in disputed sea 'legitimate'. The Manila Times, p. A2.