InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
President Benigno Aquino III said the government will redeploy its vessels to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal if foreign ships are still in the area, which is being claimed by China.
An Air Force plane will fly over the area to check if Chinese vessels have yet to withdraw in the disputed territory, Aquino said.
"If there are vessels that are not ours, we will redeploy. If there is no presence that can threaten our sovereignty, then we will not deploy anymore," the President said. "If there are things that we should be guarding then we will go back."
Aquino said the over-flight was scheduled Tuesday but the plane was not given clearance to take off because of typhoon Butchoy.
The President ordered the pullout of the vessels of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and the Philippine Coast Guard over the weekend because of the weather disturbance. China already said it will not withdraw its maritime vessels in the disputed area. InterAksyon.com
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