More than 200 Chinese fishing vessels believed to be crewed by militia have been spotted “in line formation” near a disputed reef west of Palawan Island, the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) said, prompting the Department of Foreign Affairs to file a diplomatic protest over the “incursion” Sunday night. "We call on the Chinese to stop this incursion and immediately recall these boats violating our maritime rights and encroaching into our sovereign territory. We are committed to uphold our sovereign rights over the WPS,” Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said. Hours before Lorenzana made the statement, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said it has dispatched air and naval assets to confirm the Philippine Coast Guard report that some 220 Chinese vessels have massed off Julian Felipe Reef (Whitsun Reef) some 320 kilometers west of Palawan Island on March 7.

Requejo, R. E. (2021, March 22). DFA fires off protest vs. 220 Chinese vessels' presence off Palawan. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.