DND still to confirm reports US ship patrolled off Spratly Islands

From the Philippine News Agency (Oct 27): DND still to confirm reports US ship patrolled off Spratly Islands

While it is still to confirm reports that an American destroyer sailed within 12 nautical miles off Chinese possessions off the Spratly Islands, the Department of National Defense (DND) said the US is only exercising freedom of navigation in international waters.

This was disclosed by DND public affairs service chief Arsenio Andolong Tuesday.

(It is international waters), so any vessels (could) exercise freedom of navigation. That's all we have to say about it," he added.

US media outlets earlier said that unnamed Pentagon official claimed that the American guided-missile destroyer, the USS Lassen, patrolled within 12 nautical miles off the Spratly Islands.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=820008