MANILA (Reuters): The Philippines is returning to port a coast guard vessel anchored in the contested Sabina Shoal in the South China Sea after a five-month deployment as its mission is accomplished, the maritime council said on Sunday.
Since April, coast guard vessel Teresa Magbanua was deployed to monitor what Manila suspects to be China's small-scale reclamation activities in the area. Its presence has angered Beijing, turning the shoal into the latest flashpoint in the contested waters.
