A tense week at sea as Philippine coast guard faces China

This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate ABOARD BRP MALABRIGO (AP) — When two Philippine coast guard vessels set out to patrol the volatile South China Sea recently, they had to face more than China's growing territorial ambitions. The Associated Press and three other news agencies were invited by the Philippine coast guard two weeks ago to join a 1,670-kilometer (1,038-mile) patrol of one of the world's most fiercely contested seas. The invitation was part of a new Philippine strategy aimed at bringing attention to China's increasingly aggressive actions in the South China Sea. China has…