Manila, Oct. 14 -- A ranking Philippine Navy (PN) official on Tuesday said naval units on Pag-asa Island were "alerted" over the weekend following the ramming of a Philippine vessel by Chinese maritime forces.

"They were alerted should the situation escalate, but after a few minutes the situation deescalated," PN spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Before the ramming incident on Sunday, the China Coast Guard vessel used a water cannon against BRP Pagbuaya, which belongs to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR).

The Philippine vessel was anchored at the territorial waters of Pag-asa Island as part of government efforts to prote...