Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 5) — The Philippine Coast Guard said it drove away five Chinese and two Vietnamese vessels last week from the vicinity of Marie Louise Bank, some 147 nautical miles off El Nido, Palawan.

In a statement Sunday, the PCG said its vessel, BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409), on June 30 shooed away the foreign vessels from waters off Marie Louise Bank in the West Philippine Sea.

Using the PCG vessel’s long range acoustic device, it conducted a radio challenge to the seven vessels to assert the Philippines’ rights over its exclusive economic zone. The Chinese and Vietnamese ships were earlier monitored via the PCG vessel’s radar and automatic identification system.

The PCG said its vessel Cabra also checked on the condition of 34 Filipino fishermen onboard F/B Xiroxira from San Jose, Occidental Mindoro that was also being monitored at the same area.

“The Filipino fishermen said they were able to conduct normal fishing operations in the past two weeks without any untoward incidents at sea,” the PCG said.

In a Twitter post, Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. lauded the move of the PCG to disperse foreign ships and protect the country’s waters.

“That’s how to do it; don’t telegraph counter-punches; make the West Philippine Sea a sea of uncertainty for intruders,” he said.