Manila, March 8 -- A ranking Philippine Navy official on Sunday said the United States' preoccupation in the conflict in the Middle East has nothing to do with the slight increase in Chinese ships monitored in the West Philippine Sea (WPS).

"Bagamat may increase hindi pa natin ito ma-correlate directly sa nangyari sa (although there is an increase, this is not correlated on what is happening right now in the) Middle East," PN spokesperson for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said during an interview with DZBB.

Last week, Trinidad said 34 ships from China's People's Liberation Army Navy and the China Coast Guard were sighted in the WPS, slightly up from the 21 and 18 previously sighted.

"Last week ay na-report natin na (we repo...