President Rodrigo Duterte will personally confer with Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Huang Xilian regarding the swarming of Chinese vessels believed to be manned by Chinese militia in the West Philippine Sea, Malacanang said on Tuesday.

This was after the Chinese Embassy claimed that around 220 Chinese fishing vessels seen moored at the Julian Felipe Reef near Palawan early this month are not Chinese maritime militia but merely fishermen taking shelter in the area due to "rough sea conditions."

"The President said yesterday he will talk to the Chinese ambassador regarding this issue," said Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque in a televised press briefing.

Quoting Duterte, he added, "there's nothing that we can't discuss between friends."

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier lodged a diplomatic protest against China for the presence of the Chinese militia boats in Julian Felipe Reef, which is within the Philippine exclusive economic zone and continental shelf.

Contrary to the Chinese Embassy's statement, the National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea, which first reported about the massing of Chinese maritime militia vessels at Julian Felipe Reef, said the weather was clear at that time. Celerina Monte/DMS