Warships hold military drills off CamNorte coast

By Rhaydz B. Barcia

LEGAZPI CITY --- The warships spotted in the waters off Jose Panganiban town in Camarines Norte do not belong to the Chinese Coast Guard, Police Lt. Col. Maria Luisa “Malu” Calubaquid, PNP regional spokesperson, told Bicol Mail.

Calubaquid clarified that four countries are conducting a military exercise in the waters of Camarines Norte, dismissing earlier reports circulating online about the presence of five Chinese Coast Guard warships.

Jose Panganiban town Mayor Ariel M. Non posted on his Facebook page on Monday morning about the presence of five warships off the coast of his town.

Non said he was verifying reports that the warships were believed to belong to the Chinese Coast Guard.

He stated that the five warships were approximately 92 kilometers off the coast of Jose Panganiban, prompting him to immediately ask the Coast Guard and PNP personnel in his town to check and validate their presence.

“Sobrang layo na nito sa West Philippine Sea at tiyak na hindi ito sakop ng Tsina, ngunit bakit narito na sila?” he said in his Facebook post. (“This is too far from the West Philippine Sea, and it is definitely not within China’s jurisdiction, so why are they here?”)

This reporter attempted to reach Mayor Ariel M. Non through his social media account. Later in the afternoon, he admitted that he had received a report confirming that the spotted warships off the coast of Jose Panganiban belonged to friendly forces.

“We received information that those vessels belong to the Philippines’ friendly forces. It is a French Navy warship conducting an exercise with the Philippine Navy,” Mayor Non told The Bicol Mail.

The presence of five warships off the coast of Jose Panganiban town alarmed netizens in Bicol, who speculated that the Chinese Coast Guard had intruded into Bicol waters. In response to these escalating concerns, The Bicol Mail sought clarification from the Naval Forces Southern Luzon (NAVFORSOL) regarding the warships’ presence in the region.

Following this inquiry, NAVFORSOL clarified that the ships spotted in the waters of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte, did not belong to China.

“The Philippine Navy refutes the circulating information that a Chinese vessel is currently sailing in the vicinity of Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte. These are not Chinese warships; these are foreign vessels from the French Navy, U.S. Navy, and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force conducting a naval exercise hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea, dubbed ‘Exercise Pacific Stellar 2025,’ which began on February 8, 2025,” said Lt. John Emmanuel I. Sison, director of the NAVFORSOL public affairs office based in Legazpi City.

“This exercise is a multi-large deck event (MLDE) designed to enhance coordination and cooperation among the French, Japanese, and U.S. maritime forces. As part of the exercise scenario, the French Navy is simulating enemy vessels,” Sison added.

According to the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the exercise aims to promote a free, open, and stable Indo-Pacific region for the benefit of the French population, their interests, and those of their regional partners, in accordance with international law, Sison explained.

“The Philippine Navy, through the Naval Forces Southern Luzon, remains vigilant in monitoring and patrolling our maritime territory to ensure the safety and security of our people,” Sison said.

A warship sails off the coast of Jose Panganiban town in Camarines Norte, where a military exercise involving the French Navy, U.S. Navy, and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force is being conducted. The naval exercise, hosted by the French Navy in the Philippine Sea, is dubbed ‘Exercise Pacific Stellar 2025’ and began on February 8, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Mayor Ariel M. Non)