Manila, Aug. 25 -- Foreign-maligned influence activities against the Philippines and the protection of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) have increased since May, a military official said Tuesday.

"There has been a noted spike or increase in foreign-maligned influence activities for the past four months. This (is) centered (on recent) law enforcement operations," Armed Forcss of the Philippines (AFP) spokesperson for the WPS, Navy reservist Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, said during a press briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Such activities started after 69 Chinese workers and a Filipino were arrested following a raid at the Sanjia Steel Corporation in Misamis Oriental in May.

Authorities said the Chinese workers are undocumen...