CCG ship spotted anew off Zambales coast

February 8, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A China Coast Guard (CCG) patrol ship was spotted anew sailing within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), over a hundred nautical miles off the coast of Zambales, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) reported.

The 97-meter BRP Teresa Magbanua detected CCG patrol vessel 3304 with a length of 111 meters “approximately 105-115 nautical miles off the coast of Zambales, within the Philippines’ (EEZ),” according to a statement from PCG spokesman for West Philippine Sea issues Commodore Jay Tarriela on Feb. 6, three days after its last update.

The PCG patrol ship has been watching over the area “for over a week now… despite challenging sea conditions, with wave heights reaching 3-4 meters,” he added.

“The PCG has vigilantly contacted the China Coast Guard vessel through radio, clearly stating that its presence constitutes a violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” said Tarriela.

The agency would sustain its efforts in “safeguarding the maritime rights of the Philippines, ensuring the safety of Filipino fishermen, enforcing international law and working towards the de-escalation of tensions in the West Philippine Sea,” he said.

Meanwhile, two more CCG vessels, including the “monster ship” 165-meter CCG 5901, were seen patrolling close to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc, Tarriela said during an online media briefing yesterday.

Last Feb. 2, the PCG detected CCG patrol ships 3301 and 3104 some 34 nautical miles off Pangasinan. They eventually left the West Philippine Sea and were last spotted near Guangdong, China on Feb. 4.

The CCG ships have been patrolling the West Philippine Sea, particularly near Panatag Shoal, since Jan. 4.