The Philippine Navy deployed a gunboat and a surveillance plane to a World Heritage-listed marine sanctuary after a suspected Vietnamese fishing vessel was seen there, authorities said Monday. The incident came a month after a Filipino coastguard vessel opened fire on a Taiwanese fishing vessel near an island in the northern Philippines, killing a crew member and sparking a diplomatic row with Taiwan.

A Chinese fishing vessel that ran aground on one of the Philippines' most famous coral reefs more than a week ago was removed on Friday, the coast guard said. The 48-metre (157-foot) ship was hauled by a tugboat from Tubbataha, a UNESCO World Heritage-listed coral reef near the western island of Palawan where its crew are facing serious charges, a spokeswoman said. "The hull of the vessel is still okay so according to (the salvage team), it is safe to tow the vessel," Lieutenant Greanata Jude told AFP.

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Saturday announced that one of its ships have transported 128 Filipinos displaced by the fighting between followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III and Malaysian security forces, to safe havens in Taganak, Tawi-Tawi.A newly born child was among the 128 people assisted by the PCG. "Officials and crew members of PCG search and rescue vessel BRP Nueva Vizcaya (SARV-3502) ... went to Taganak, Tawi-Tawi to transport (the) returnees," it said.The PCG said the 128 returnees included 58 adults and 70 children.

Air Philippines is opening its Puerto Princesa-Coron and vice versa flight again starting May 17, and the route will be connected to the Visayas, particularly Bacolod and Caticlan.The information was disclosed by Maribel Buñi, chief tourism operations officer of the Provincial Tourism Office, who said the re-opening of the flight route is advantageous to Palawan as it is an opportunity to boost the influx of tourists in the provinceBuñi said the re-opening of the flight from the city to the municipality of Coron in the Calamianes Group of Islands, and other sea transportation