Only foreign warships passing through the Philippines’ territorial waters are required to seek permission from the government, the Palace said Monday. Commercial ships are excluded from President Rodrigo Duterte’s Aug. 20 order, his spokesman Salvador Panelo said. “The President said the merchant ships don’t need to inform us, only the warships, the gray ships, Panelo said in a television interview. And days before Duterte’s scheduled trip to Beijing, Panelo said the Philippines had a better relationship with China than during the previous administration.

Blancaflor, M. (2019, August 27). PH eases up on ships’ crossings. Manila Standard, pp. A1, A2.