The Philippines and the US are verifying if Chinese coast guard ships have indeed left a disputed shoal after President Rodrigo Duterte reached out to Beijing, allowing Filipino fishermen back to the rich fishing area that China seized in 2012 as tensions spiked in the South China Sea. Philippine Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana said the Philippine Coast Guard reported that Chinese ships have not been sighted at Scarborough Shoal in the last three days, but he added the report has to be validated. Lorenzana told The Associated Press that the Philippine air force plans to conduct aerial surveillance of the shoal off the northwestern Philippines as early as Saturday to check the situation.

US, PH verifying if Chinese have left disputed shoals (2016 October 30). Panay News, p. 14.