A Chinese research vessel monitored off the waters of Catanduanes has remained within the eastern waters of the country as the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) monitored its presence at the waters of Northern Samar on Monday.

Col. Xerxes Trinidad, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) public affairs office chief, said China flagged research survey vessel Shen Kuo was monitored at the vicinity of 44.6 nautical miles northeast of Gamay, Northern Samar around 7:22 am.

"We've been monitoring the reports now and then, I think from the photos that we have captured, we see the vessel is loitering from one point to another point. It's just traversing and then loitered there, stop and go what we call it, so the vessel is stop and go, as of now we continues to monitor the vessel," he said.

Trinidad said the vessel has been monitored within the waters of the country since April 25 and still failed to respond to their challenges.

He stressed that because of its "unusual movement" there are possibilities that the vessel is conducting a survey.

"Its movement is very unusual and its location is not considered as an international highway for the vessels," Trinidad noted.

He stressed that the AFP has informed and is coordinating with the other concerned government agencies regarding the presence of the Chinese research vessel.

"That is still for our other maritime law enforcing agencies we have been coordinating with them on what will be the possible actions on this particular incident," Trindad said when asked if they will board and search the Chinese vessel.

"We have reported this particular incident to the concerned authorities, it is basically still within our EEZ on the eastern seaboard," he added.

Western Command (Wescom) spokesperson Captain Ariel Joseph Coloma said two Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) vessels were also detected on Monday while the Filipino, American, and French warships were conducting the last day of its "multilateral maritime exercise" (MME) as part of this year's "Balikatan" drills.

PLAN ships with bow numbers 793 and 167, were detected at four to five nautical miles as the participants in the MME were sailing some 33 nautical miles off Quezon, Palawan around 9 am.

"For today's event, meron po (there will be) gunnery exercise, cross-deck operations, detect and engage and photo exercise," he said.

On April 28, another PLAN ship with bow number 578 was detected while another Chinese vessel, with bow number 793, was spotted on April 27. The Chinese ship with bow number 793 was earlier reported to have left the MME ships last later of the same day. Robina Asido/DMS