Marilyn Cahatol

Armed Forces of the Philippines reports Chinese vessel swarming in Iroquois and Sabina, posing threat to Recto Bank security.
Forty-eight Chinese fishing vessels have been reported to be swarming Iroquois Reef, located south of the oil and gas-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. This information comes from the latest air patrol conducted on June 30, 2023.
During multiple flights over Iroquois Reef in the past week, pilots aboard NV312, a Britten Norman Islander light patrol aircraft of the Philippine Navy, observed an alarming presence of Chinese fishing vessels. Courtesy of Western Command Armed Forces of the Philippines

Article (news)

SOUTH CHINA SEA

Job Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — All parties involved in the proposed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are “really bent on being able to hopefully” conclude the negotiations within the 2026 timeline, an official said on Tuesday. </p><p>ASEAN Spokesperson Dax Imperial said the Philippines, as chair of the bloc this year, is “leading in terms of supporting more meetings.”</p><p>“They are all on board in terms of reaching a conclusion of the negotiations. Everyone, all the parties are really bent on being able to, hopefully, to endeavor concluding the negotiations within the 2026 timeline,” Imperial told reporters here at the International Media Center in Mandaue City. </p><p>“These number of meetings [are] important because it helps in the process, reaching the goal of being able to address the issues and challenges in the negotiations,” he added. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/4/14/ph-asserts-right-in-latest-negotiations-for-code-of-conduct-in-south-china-sea-1426">Philippines asserts right in latest negotiations for South China Sea code of conduct</a></div><p>He also assured the public that the issues on the negotiations are being addressed, but refused to provide more information on this. </p><p>While it was “hard to say” what the outcome of the negotiations would be, the official was optimistic that the discussions would move as to the last agreements the bloc and China had in the previous meetings. </p><p>“I will not be able to provide details of these negotiations but what I can say is there will always be that progress every time there is a meeting that is involved or every time we hold the meetings on these negotiations,” he said.</p><p>“We’ll be happy to have a movement and I would also like to underscore that the Philippines as chair is really facilitating the progress of the discussions in terms of encouraging more meetings so that we’ll be able to at least endeavor to conclude the negotiations or the discussions that were given under the guidelines that was set back in 2023,” he said. </p><p>Imperial also did not confirm nor deny reports regarding the reported venue and date of the COC negotiations, saying he does not have information on this. </p><p>“It is a confidential meeting and that was also agreed by the parties to keep the details of this meeting confidential but certainly the COC meeting is going to take place. It has not taken place but it will,” he said. </p><p>President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. previously urged ASEAN states to fast-track the conclusion of the COC to address China’s aggressive and illegal activities in Philippine waters. </p><p>But the President recognized that contentious matters still needed a consensus, including the geographic scope of the code of conduct and its relationship with the Declaration on Conduct (DOC) of Parties in the South China Sea.</p><p>However, Beijing has repeatedly maintained that the COC should not be used as a means to legitimize the 2016 Arbitral Award, which it insists was initiated unilaterally by the Philippines without China’s consent.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/22/new-chinese-envoy-calls-for-dialogue-restraint-amid-south-china-sea-tensions-1300">New Chinese envoy calls for dialogue, restraint amid South China Sea tensions</a></div><p>In 2023, the Foreign Ministers of ASEAN and China adopted the Guidelines on Accelerating the Early Conclusion of the Code of Conduct and agreed to work towards concluding the COC within three years.</p><p>Former Foreign Affairs Secretary Enrique Manalo last year said the ASEAN and China are “<a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/22/south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-must-not-supersede-unclos-doj-exec-1354">politically committed</a>” to having an SCS COC by 2026. </p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/1/26/asean-ministers-may-tackle-south-china-sea-issues-in-upcoming-retreat-1423">ASEAN foreign ministers may tackle issues in South China Sea in upcoming retreat: official</a></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/5/22/south-china-sea-code-of-conduct-must-not-supersede-unclos-doj-exec-1354" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">South China Sea &#x27;code of conduct&#x27; must not supersede UNCLOS: DOJ exec</a></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/dpbDMW4GXkc?si=zRLTZ2_i1hWnVWNm" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>All parties involved in the proposed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are “really bent on being able to hopefully” conclude the negotiations within the 2026 timeline, an official said on Tuesday.</p>

All parties involved in the proposed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea are “really bent on being able to hopefully” conclude the negotiations within the 2026 timeline, an official said on Tuesday.

All parties ‘bent on concluding negotiations’ for South China Sea code of conduct this 2026 – official

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All parties ‘bent on concluding negotiations’ for South China Sea code of conduct this 2026 – official

Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published January 27, 2026 07:47 PM PHT

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Updated January 27, 2026 07:57 PM PHT

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South China Sea

West Philippine Sea

code of conduct South China Sea

China

ASEAN

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