The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) replaced its monitoring vessel as another China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel moved closer to the Zambales coastline on Tuesday.
PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Commodore Jay Tarriela, confirmed the deployment of the BRP Suluan, a 44-meter multi-role response vessel, replacing the BRP Gabriela Silang. Simultaneously, Chinese vessel CCG-3304 was replaced by the smaller but still sizable CCG-3103, measuring 77.7 meters in length and 10.4 meters in width.
Despite challenging sea conditions with waves reaching two to three meters, BRP Suluan successfully monitored and radio-challenged the illegal presence of CCG-3103, asserting violations of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award.
Current Vessel Positions
As of Tuesday evening, CCG-3103 remained 76 nautical miles off Pundaquit, Zambales, conducting patrols, while the larger CCG-5901, known as the “monster ship,” had moved to 113 nautical miles from Zambales but stayed within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), 19 nautical miles from Bajo de Masinloc.
The PCG assured its commitment to safeguarding Philippine maritime rights without escalating tensions, while urging China to withdraw its vessels.
China’s Stance
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun defended their presence, reiterating Beijing’s historical claims over the South China Sea. Guo described the CCG’s actions as lawful patrols and called on the Philippines to halt what he called “provocations” and “false accusations.”
Tensions Over South China Sea
The South China Sea dispute remains contentious, with Beijing claiming nearly the entire area, overlapping territories of the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. In 2016, an international tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines, declaring China’s claims baseless. However, Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling.