DEFENSE secretary Delfin Lorenzana confirmed on Tuesday, July 17, the arrival of a Chinese vessel in Davao on Monday evening.
“Yes we know about it. The Chinese Ambassador wrote to the SFA (Secretary of Foreign Affairs) (Alan) Cayetano that it would be docking in Davao to refurbish and it was allowed to do so,” he said in a text message to reporters.
Philippine Navy spokesman Commander Jonathan Zata said the ship arrived at the Davao port at 8:14 p.m. on Monday, July 16.
He said vessel will stay at the said port until Thursday, July 19.
However, Zata said he has yet to get more information about the ship but initially stated that “it’s not a (Chinese) navy ship. Not a (Chinese) coast guard ship either.”
“It’s completely routine, nothing unusual about the visit. We had Chinese warships calling on our ports in the past the same as with any other warships from the other countries,” he said.
In June, two Chinese military aircraft landed in Davao City for refuelling purposes, according to Lorenzana.
The Defense chief maintained that there is nothing unusual in the said landing in Davao City.
However, lawmakers were alarmed about the said activities amid the dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).
"What if a hundred Chinese military aircraft suddenly request to refuel simultaneously in NAIA (Ninoy Aquino International Airport), Mactan airport, Davao, Cagayan de Oro, and Clark? We might all wake up a colony again, this time by China," Senator Panfilo Lacson said earlier.
The Senate has sought the conduct of an investigation to shed light on the matter. (Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)