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Ghio Ong - The Philippine Star
February 15, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — Vessels of the China Coast Guard (CCG) are seemingly taking turns again in patrolling the West Philippine Sea, which upsets the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG).
The agency’s 44-meter patrol ship BRP Cabra initially detected the 111-meter CCG patrol vessel 3304 “approaching within 43 nautical miles off the coast of Bolinao, Pangasinan” on Feb. 12, according to a statement from PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela on Thursday.
BRP Cabra drove away CCG 3304 until it reached “an approximate distance of 101.44 nautical miles off Bani, Pangasinan.”
However, Cabra saw the 77-meter CCG 3103 patrol ship sailing toward the previous position of CCG 3304. Meanwhile, CCG 3304 was navigating toward Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal or Bajo de Masinloc.
As usual, personnel onboard the Cabra warned both CCG vessels that they are violating the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and the 2016 arbitral award in continuously patrolling the West Philippine Sea within the country’s 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone.
Tarriela, the PCG’s spokesman on West Philippine Sea issues, previously said in an online media briefing that the PCG has been monitoring the presence of an average of four to five CCG ships in the WPS “for so many years” now.
The CCG vessels were taking turns navigating the West Philippine Sea as part of their efforts to “normalize their illegal patrols,” he added.
He pointed out the PCG would sustain the “same level of vigilance by pushing them farther and making sure they don’t come close to our shores.”
CCG patrol ships have been spotted sailing in the WPS since Jan. 4 this year, according to previous statements from Tarriela.
