00:00Although it is quite alarming to learn about the presence of a foreign vessel, much more a Russian attack submarine within the country's Exclusive Economic Zone,
00:09there is such a thing called freedom of navigation according to vessels that are not considered to be a threat.
00:15Still, even the president found the development alarming but left its handling to the capable hands of the Philippine Navy.
00:22PTB's Patrick Desus has more.
00:25President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. considers any intrusion into the country's Exclusive Economic Zone alarming.
00:34This, after a Russian attack submarine, UFA-490, was spotted on November 28 in the West Philippine Sea, 80 nautical miles west of Cape Calavite in Occidental Mindoro.
00:47The president has left the matter to the military.
00:51That's very concerning. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea of our AEC, of our baselines, is very worrisome.
01:00According to the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Navy's BRPO Serizal frigate promptly escorted the Russian submarine.
01:09The Navy also deployed aircraft to monitor the submarine's movements.
01:14The AFP stated that the Russian submarine's crew responded to radio communication,
01:20saying they had come from Malaysia after a military exercise with the Royal Malaysian Navy.
01:26They were reportedly waiting for weather conditions to improve before continuing their journey back to their naval base in Vladivostok, Russia.
01:45No illegal activity was observed from the Russian submarine, which surfaced while passing through the West Philippine Sea.
01:54In the same manner, when our ships, for example, go to other countries and pass through the exclusive economic zone of other countries,
02:02they are also given the right of freedom of navigation and innocent passage.
02:07As long as they are not doing anything wrong or illegal in the laws of that country.
02:12For a maritime law expert, the passage of the Russian submarine cannot be considered a threat.
02:19It cannot be a threat because it's a submarine on the surface. That's not a threat.
02:22Since it's on the surface, it's actually announcing itself.
02:26From the People's Television Network, Patrick de Azuz, Balitang Pongbansa.
