Manila, May 8 -- China's latest acts of harassment will not deter the Philippines from holding maritime patrols in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Navy (PN) said Thursday.

"We will keep performing our mandate, we will keep performing the patrols," Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told reporters on Thursday.

This came after the May 5 incident where Chinese frigates and coast guard ships conducted "aggressive and unsafe maneuvers" against the BRP Emilio Jacinto (PS-35) while it was doing regular patrolling 11.8 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) in the WPS.

Trinidad said patrols will continue even if China makes it a habit or practice...