Troops in the grounded Philippine Navy vessel BRP Sierra Madre are not under threat despite a reported increase in the presence of Chinese vessels in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said on Monday.

"At this time, we do not see (any threat) but of course we are always ready. We do not know what they are thinking," Teodoro told reporters in an interview at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig City.

Teodoro said the increased number of Chinese vessels was not just monitored in the area of Ayungin Shoal.

He also expressed belief that it is because of the ongoing bilateral exercises between the Philippines and Australian forces dubbed as "Exercise Alon (Amphibious and Land Operations) 2025".

"We have monitored increased presence, not just in Ayungin. Well, sometimes it increases, sometimes not, maybe it is also because of the exercise Alon where the largest exercise was done in Palawan," he said.

"We cannot make heads or tails of it at this time but the National Maritime Council is always informed about the situation," he added.

Exercise Alon 25 which will run from August 15 to 29, is a bilateral training between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Australian Defence Force (ADF), conducted within the Joint Operational Areas of Northern Luzon Command and Western Command.

Just last week, the AFP reported an increase in the number of Chinese vessels monitored in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal starting Aug. 20.

According to Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Philippine Navy spokesman for the West Philippine Sea, while the Chinese vessels are displaying their capability including testing water cannons and using aircraft and small boats equipped with a heavy machine gun, one of the small China boats tried to come closer up to 50 to 75 meters to BRP Sierra Madre.

Following this incident last Aug. 20, AFP chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr. said he ordered troops based in Ayungin Shoal not to allow Chinese to board BRP Sierra Madre.

"I ordered the troops to stop the Chinese from boarding BRP Sierra Madre... of course that is a possibility, because if they do that we will prevent them from doing so because by boarding our ship it's like coming into our territory," Brawner told reporters in an interview in Makati City last Friday.

"(They are) more aggressive now, this could be a result of the collision incident in Scarborough Shoal (last Aug. 11), when their ships collided they got embarrassed in the international arena," he said. Robina Asido/DMS