DND verifying passage of Chinese warships via PH waters

MANILA, Philippines — The defense establishment will look more closely into the possibility that China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning was among the warships that passed through the country’s waters early this year.

Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said he might seek a clarification from the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines about a supposed track map of Liaoning’s route, which passed through Sibutu Strait in Tawi-Tawi.

Lorenzana was referring to a Liaoning track map released by a Taiwanese media outfit that maritime law expert Jay Batongbacal posted on Twitter on July 25.

Lorenzana said it was possible that the aircraft carrier of the People’s Liberation Army Navy did pass through the country’s territorial waters.

“They might have passed through during the night, and since they do not have the AIS (automatic identification system), our radar cannot detect them nor can our watchers see them because it is night,” he said.