PCG challenges China’s ‘monster ship’ anchored off Escoda Shoal
A DIFFERENT MESSAGE The intrusive presence in the Philippine exclusive economic zone of the 12,000-ton China Coast Guard 5901 vessel, shown in this file photo, may put to the test the latest pronouncements by Manila and Beijing to again reduce tensions in the West Philippine Sea. —PHOTO FROM HTTPS://WWW.SEALIGHT.LIVE
MANILA, Philippines — Despite being dwarfed by China Coast Guard’s “monster ship,” the Philippine Coast Guard’s biggest vessel still challenged its presence at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea.
PCG spokesperson Rear Admiral Armand Balilo told INQUIRER.net on Thursday that BRP Teresa Magbanua on Wednesday afternoon issued a radio challenge against the CCG vessel with hull number 5901, which anchored there an hour later.
“We radio challenged them while they were underway,” Balilo said over the phone in Filipino.
Despite BRP Teresa Magbanua’s radio challenge at 5:00 p.m. asking the Chinese ship to leave the waters off Escoda Shoal, the monster vessel still anchored there at 6:00 p.m., according to Balilo.
“Latest report said they were anchored southeast off Sabina Shoal’s waters,” he added.
Article continues after this advertisementIt was West Philippine Sea monitor Ray Powell who first reported Thursday that the giant CCG ship was spotted about 600 meters away from BRP Teresa Magbanua. He earlier said the ship did not appear to come close to PCG’s ship.
Article continues after this advertisement“At this point, it seems to be there to observe and intimidate,” Powell, who heads the program of Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation, told INQUIRER.net on Thursday.
BRP Teresa Magbanua (MRRV-9701) — the lead ship of her class of patrol vessels under the PCG — has a width and length of 97 meters and 12 meters, respectively.
However, China’s monster ship is 165 meters long and 22 meters wide, the largest coast guard vessel in the world.
The PCG deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua on April 16 amid suspected reclamation at Escoda Shoal, which falls 75 nautical miles from the coast of Palawan or well within the Philippine exclusive economic zone.
On Wednesday, Powell said the monster ship—before heading to Escoda Shoal—was spotted off Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, returning to the West Philippine Sea a day after the bilateral consultation mechanism (BCM) between Manila and Beijing.
The BCM was held after the violent confrontation last June 17 at Ayungin Shoal, where BRP Sierra Madre is aground.
The confrontation between the CCG and the Philippine Navy there led to what the latter deemed “looting” and caused a serious injury to one of its personnel.
“China aims to force the Philippines to negotiate from a position of relative weakness in hopes of extracting concessions in exchange for de-escalation,” Powell told INQUIRER.net on Wednesday.
Escoda Shoal serves as the rendezvous point for Filipino vessels carrying out resupply missions to the naval outpost at Ayungin Shoal.
China’s monster ship returned to the West Philippine Sea a few days after leaving the country’s exclusive economic zone on June 27, when it concluded what experts call “intrusive” 10-day patrol in Manila’s 12 maritime features to reinforce Beijing’s “ten-dash line” claim.
READ: China’s ‘monster ship’ returns to West Philippine Sea amid talks
READ: China patrols show 10-dash line push in West Philippine Sea, SCS
Beijing’s actions are in line with its assertion of sovereignty in almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea, as it continues to reject the July 2016 Arbitral Award which effectively dismissed its claims.
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