Philippine Ambassador to China Chito Santa Romana on Monday bared that a Chinese survey ship may have collected maritime samples at Benham Rise. The DFA then asked the Chinese Embassy in Manila to explain the presence of its ships in Benham Rise. President Rodrigo Duterte however later revealed that China had asked permission to pass Benham Rise.

Pilapil, J. R. (2017, April 4). ‘China may have collected samples from Benham Rise’. The Manila Times, pp. A1, A2.