Manila, Aug. 3 -- No amount of Chinese military exercise can alter the country's legal claim to Bajo de Masinloc (also known as Scarborough Shoal) in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said Monday.

"Military activities or demonstrations do not alter the legal status of maritime features or the Philippines' maritime entitlements under international law," AFP spokesperson for the WPS Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad told the Philippine News Agency when sought for a reaction on the reported Chinese naval and air combat drills conducted off Bajo de Masinloc last Aug. 1.

He said the Chinese military activity has "been monitored and tracked" by the AFP.

"The AFP is aware of the reported ...