President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said Sunday's four-nation maritime drill was''successful'' even as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) monitored two Chinese Navy ships during the exercises,

''The interim reports that I am getting is that (it is really) very useful in terms of the interoperability so that each Navy knows how the other Navy operates, number one; and secondly that they learn how to operate together,'' Marcos said in ambush interview in Bacolod City on Monday.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said they monitored two Chinese navy ships six nautical miles away from Busuanga, Palawan where the drills were held.

“During the exercise that we conducted, we noticed the presence of two PLA (People’s Liberation Army) Navy ships in the distance. But these navy ships did not do anything to block or hinder the exercise,” AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner, Jr. told reporters.

Brawner said the exercises were not a show of force.

“This is not directed against any country. We are just doing these exercises for number one, for interoperability so we can show that we can cooperate with other like-minded armed forces and also to enhance our own capability,” Brawner said.

Brawner assured that the presence of the Chinese ships was expected and not alarming.

Marcos said he hoped that the joint maritime cooperative activity would prevent further harassment of Filipino troops and fishermen in the West Philippine Sea.

“I sincerely hope so. I really do. I really do, but again. So, we are trying everything. We still continue to talk at a ministerial level, at a sub-ministerial level, at a people-to-people level,” Marcos said.

“We are doing everything we can to talk to the Chinese leadership, to Beijing. We are asking them not to worsen the tensions and that we should keep talking so that there won’t be any water cannon incidents,” he added.

The West Philippine Sea situation is expected to be one of the topics the Philippines will discuss with the United States and Japan when Washington hosts a meeting this week. Jaspearl Tan/DMS