Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana reiterated his call for China to remove its vessels in West Philippine Sea after a recent maritime patrol operation shows there were 44 Chinese maritime militia vessels in Julian Felipe reef.

In his statement issued on Saturday, Lorenzana emphasized that the Chinese maritime militia vessels "have no other reason to stay" in the area.

"The Chinese ambassador has a lot of explaining to do. As of our latest maritime and aerial surveillance, there are still 44 Chinese vessels that are in Julian Felipe Reef," he said.

"I am no fool. The weather has been good so far, so they have no other reason to stay there. These vessels should be on their way out. Leave the area," Lorenzana said.

"We have already lodged our diplomatic protest stating unequivocally our stand on the issue. We, again, reiterate our demand for the Chinese to leave our sovereign territories and abide by international law," he added. Robina Asido/DMS