BRP Conrado Yap, the most powerful ship of the Philippine Navy, and BRP Davao del Sur were shadowed by Chinese frigate and Taiwan Coast Guard while it was on its way home from South Korea.

This happened between August 14 to 16 while BRP Conrado Yap and BRP Davao del Sur were on its home to Manila, said Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad on Wednesday.

The two vessels arrived at South Harbor on August 18.

"When we sailed our new ship from Korea back to the Philippines we were shadowed by three Chinese frigates, so up to our entry to our territorial waters," said Empedrad said in an interview with defense reporters in Manila.

"We passed between Taiwan and mainland China, we do not usually (use) those straits, but because of the typhoon, we have to pass there. When our ships passed there between mainland China we probably informed them that we are passing through. We were shadowed by, I think, (a) frigate and then Coast Guard of Taiwan," he added.

Empedrad said BRP Conrado Yap with BRP Davao Del Sur were shadowed "from Taiwan Straits until we reached our territorial waters somewhere in the portion, of Ilocos, western side of Ilocos."

He emphasized that the way the Chinese frigate and the Taiwan Coast Guard shadowed the Philippine Navy ships was not hostile.

"There is no problem there if they shadow you. There is no provocative or hostile act on their ships because they know that our passage is innocent passage so we just continue," he said.

Empedrad said the foreign ship only left after they cautioned them that they were reaching Philippine territorial waters.

"The commanding officer of our ship cautioned the Chinese frigate that we are now entering our territorial waters. They did not answer us but they already left," he said. Robina Asido/DMS