MANILA — The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Thursday said it has deployed additional assets to the Kalayaan Group of Islands in the West Philippine Sea amid continued Chinese incursions in the disputed waters.

Additional ships were deployed in the islands to hold sovereignty patrols, which AFP spokesperson Col. Medel Aguilar said was part of the military's mission to "protect Filipinos and the state" together with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).

"Nasa misyon po natin 'yan na mabigyan ng tamang proteksyon ang ating mga kababayan at ang estado. At ito ay ating ginagampanan sa pamamagitan ng pag-deploy ng karagdagang asset, kasama na rin po ang Philippine Coast Guard, to make sure that the rights and the safety of our people [in the West Philippine Sea] are protected," Aguilar said in a public briefing a day after the Philippines and other nations marked the 7th anniversary of the arbitral award on the South China Sea.

(It is our part of our mission to provide proper protection to our fellow Filipinos and the state. We are doing this by deploying additional assets with the Philippine Coast Guard to make sure that the rights and the safety of our people in the West Philippine Sea are protected.)

Aguilar did not disclose how many assets were deployed but assured that these would devote more time to patrol wider areas in the West Philippine Sea, the part of the South China Sea in which the Philippines says it has sovereign rights.

He added that sovereignty patrols would be done more often.

Asked if the increased deployment was meant to deter Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, Aguilar said the move was not directed at any country.

"Ito po ay para sa ating proteksyon lamang," he said.

(This is only for our protection.)

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The announcement came days after the military reported 48 Chinese vessels swarming parts of the West Philippine Sea, including the Iroquois Reef and Sabina Shoal.

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Meanwhile, the PCG said it continued delivering fishing boats and supplies for fisherfolk in the Kalayaan island group.

These included 20-foot fiber-reinforced plastic boats, two units of marine engine (diesel), underwater fittings, 20 PVC black pipes, ropes, and nylon, the coast guard said in a Facebook post.

The PCG said this was a follow-up to the assistance provided by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) to fisherfolk on Pag-asa Island (Thitu Island).

The BFAR said the aid was meant to "empower fisherfolk and help them maximize their catch in the West Philippine Sea."

China continues to disregard the July 12, 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of Arbitration that invalidates its sweeping claims over almost the entire South China Sea.

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