West Philippine Sea: Around 8 China ships spotted at Escoda – Navy

FILE PHOTO: An aerial photo taken by the Philippine Coast Guard shows the wide expanse of Escoda (Sabina) Shoal coveted by China within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the West Philippine Sea. INQUIRER FILES

MANILA, Philippines — Eight China warships and coast guard vessels were typically spotted at Escoda (Sabina) Shoal in the West Philippine Sea, the Philippine Navy said Tuesday.

However, the period when this observation was marked was unclear as of this writing.

During a press conference in Camp Aguinaldo, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, Navy spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said: “Every now and then, we see on average, two or three of the PLA Navy and four or five of the Coast Guard.”

He also said that the number of Chinese ships present around the sandbar is not constant and that the country still has access to Escoda Shoal.

Trinidad issued these statements in reaction to an incident where the China Coast Guard blocked a Filipino boat from conducting fishing activities near the reef.

In a three-page handwritten sworn statement that was shared with members of the media two weeks ago, FFB Hadassah captain Arnel Lepalam said the CCG blocked their attempts to enter Escoda Shoal on Oct. 8 and Oct. 17.

Trinidad, however, said the two incidents are isolated and that it would be incorrect to conclude that these episodes indicate that China now controls Escoda.

“It is a wrong assumption because that is an isolated incident. We still have access there, they don’t have 24/7 control. We still continue on performing our mandate,” he noted.

The Philippines used to have a more permanent presence at Escoda Shoal.

But Philippine Coast Guard’s (PCG) BRP Teresa Magbanua left contested sandbar in September after staying there for more than five months.

READ: WPS: Should PH anchor another ship in Sabina Shoal? Experts weigh in

Anchored in the shoal from April 16, 2024, BRP Teresa Magbanua was the longest-deployed PCG asset in the West Philippine Sea. It returned to the mainland Philippines via the Puerto Princesa port on Sept. 15, arriving with four dehydrated crew who subsisted on rice porridge and rainwater for weeks as the CCG managed to thwart the deployment of basic supplies to support the Filipino troops aboard.

China’s behavior happened while Chinese state publication Global Times claimed that BRP Teresa Magbanua is “semi-grounded” in Escoda Shoal. China claimed that BRP Teresa Magbanua could be similar to what the Philippines did with the BRP Sierra Madre, a grounded Navy warship on Ayungin (Second Thomas) Shoal, which is adjacent to Escoda.

In 2012, Manila and Beijing also had a tense standoff over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. Eventually, the Philippines filed an arbitration case before the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) in The Hague to challenge China’s nine-dash line that it uses to assert ownership of almost the entire South China Sea.

READ: What Went Before: Panatag Shoal standoff

On July 12, 2016, the PCA recognized that the Philippines has exclusive rights over the West Philippine Sea and invalidated the nine-dash line claim of China.

Experts fear that the October 2024 Escoda Shoal incident could be a repeat of the two-month Panatag Shoal standoff in 2012.

The PCG, however, dismissed such concerns citing the different geography of the two sandbars, among others.