AFP Weekly WPS Report: 36 Chinese Vessels at 4 Features — Up from 27 Prior Week; Scarborough Shoal Has Highest Concentration (19 Vessels) in 2026

The Armed Forces of the Philippines released its weekly West Philippine Sea vessel monitoring report for the May 19-25, 2026 period on approximately May 26, showing a significant escalation to 36 total Chinese vessels deployed across four key WPS features — up from 27 the prior week (May 12-18), representing a 33% week-over-week increase. WPS Spokesperson Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad confirmed the figures and emphasized that all Chinese vessels were present illegally. Breakdown by feature: (1) Bajo de Masinloc / Scarborough Shoal — 19 vessels: 10 PLAN warships + 9 China Coast Guard cutters — the highest concentration at Scarborough in 2026, with analysts noting it constitutes a de facto naval blockade of the Philippines' traditional fishing grounds; (2) Ayungin Shoal / Second Thomas Shoal — 9 vessels: 1 PLAN warship + 8 CCG cutters — maintaining the blockade posture against the BRP Sierra Madre's marine garrison; (3) Escoda Shoal / Sabina Shoal — 5 vessels: 2 PLAN + 3 CCG; (4) Pag-asa Island / Kalayaan Group — 3 vessels: 2 PLAN + 1 CCG — in the same zone where the Xiang Yang Hong 33 (Day 20 as of May 26) maintained its unauthorized presence with CCG escorts 5101 and 5309. The 36-vessel weekly total compares to 35 vessels recorded during the Balikatan 2026 period (May 4-11) and 27 the prior week, indicating Chinese presence in the WPS has returned to elevated post-Balikatan levels. The Scarborough concentration of 19 vessels — with 10 PLAN warships — is particularly significant, as it exceeds the 8 PLAN warships recorded at Scarborough during the post-Balikatan monitoring period. AFP officials cited the multi-front deployment as consistent with a sustained coercive strategy across all three active Philippine standoffs: Xiang Yang Hong 33 / Pag-asa (research vessel incursion + Sandy Cay personnel landing), Scarborough Shoal (marine nature reserve declaration), and Second Thomas Shoal (BRP Sierra Madre garrison blockade).