MANILA (AFP) - The Philippines said on Thursday it had pulled its biggest warship out of a standoff with Chinese vessels, but the impasse was not resolved with China sending a third ship to the disputed waters.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario would not why say the Philippines had pulled out the navy ship, which had been stationed near a tiny set of islands in the South China Sea since Sunday in an effort to arrest Chinese fishermen caught fishing there.
'That is an operational undertaking I can't discuss with you,' he said.
The pullout means the Philippines is left with a coast guard search and rescue boat as its only presence in the disputed waters.
