Philippine 'Angels' aim to de-escalate South China Sea encounters
Manila (AFP) Mar 7, 2025 Seawoman Second Class Stephane Villalon's voice reverberated on the bridge of her Philippine ship as she issued a radio challenge to a much larger Chinese Coast Guard vessel in a disputed area of the South China Sea. The five-foot-tall (152-centimetre) radio operator is one of the Philippine Coast Guard's 81 "Angels of the Sea", graduates of an all-women training programme aimed at defusing

