The presence of a Russian attack submarine in the West Philippine Sea last week has raised deep concern from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Marcos said the Philippine military will discuss the issue which may be considered as intrusion by a foreign power.

“That’s very concerning. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ (exclusive economic zone), of our baselines is very worrisome. Yes it’s just another one,” he told reporters.

Philippine Navy spokesperson for WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad admitted that the command was able to monitor the presence of the Russian attack submarine.

The Russian vessel was identified as an UFA.

The UFA was first spotted 80 nautical miles west off Occidental Mindoro on November 28.

Immediately, a PN aircraft and a warship was sent to track the movement of the Russian attack submarine.

The UFA did not submerge while moving slowly northward outside the Philippine territorial waters until the weekend.

The presence of the Russian vessel in the WPS was discovered barely a month after President Marcos signed into law two landmark bills defining the country’s maritime zones and archipelagic boundaries.

Marcos said Republic Act 12064 or the Philippine Maritime Zones Act and and RA 12064 or the Philippine Archipelagic Sea Lanes Act “align our domestic laws with international law.”

RA 12064 upholds the country’s sovereignty and jurisdiction over its internal waters, territorial archipelagic waters and airspace above it. It defines the EEZ=, continental shelf and extended continental shelf that form part of the PH territory, including those in the WPS.