THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday maintained that the presence of Chinese vessels in Ayungin Shoal is illegal and that their aggressive actions are in violation of the international Collision Regulations (COLREG).

'During the time of the incident, there were five China Coast Guard vessels, around 16 maritime militia, and about two PLA (People's Liberation Army) vessels... The videos and photos we have shown speak for themselves and we have to show them again and again for the people to understand what happened,' Col. Medel Aguilar, AFP spokesman, said during the 'Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon' televised briefing, referring to last weekend's incident where a CCG ship collided with a Filipino vessel during a routine Rotation and Resupply (RORE) mission to the Ayungin Shoal.