Marcos: Lack of ships hampers PH ability to drive away ‘monster ship’

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. | PHOTO: Screenshot from ambush interview (MPC Pool)

MANILA, Philippines – More than a month since the China Coast Guard’s (CCG) “monster ship” has been spotted in the West Philippine Sea (WPS), President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. admitted that the government has no means to drive it away due to a lack of naval assets.

In a Palace briefing on Thursday, Marcos was asked how he would respond to the continued presence of CCG 5901 east of Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal.

READ: 2 Chinese vessels seen off Pangasinan

“Well, we don’t have the means to force them out. It would be good if we had an aircraft carrier with accompanying destroyers, frigates, and submarines. We could send them there to push them away, but we don’t have that,” he responded.

“Kung sa palakihan at paramihan lang ng barko, malayo tayo sa China,” the president added.

(If it’s just about the size and number of ships, we are far behind China.)

But Marcos stressed the local authorities will continue to defend the country’s sovereign territory and territorial rights in the exclusive economic zone as mandated by law.

“When we detect the presence of a foreign vessel that is beginning to intrude or coming close already to our coastal waters, we will send a vessel. We will challenge them, and we will make sure that they know that what they are doing is illegal,” he said.

“Of course, they will counter, saying they are doing regular law enforcement patrols. But they will always find the Philippine presence, no matter what they do,” Marcos continued.

“Kahit na banggain niya yung barko natin, kahit na mag-water cannon sila, mag-laser sila, kahit kung ano pang gawin nila, mag-block sila, laging nandiyan ang Pilipinas,” he also said.

(Even if they ram our ships, use water cannons, lasers, or do anything else, even if they block us, the Philippines will always be there.)

READ: ‘Monster ship’ still in WPS as PH patrols with US, Japan, Australia

The CCG’s “monster ship” is still in the WPS as of Wednesday, analyst Ray Powell told INQUIRER.net.

The ship is believed to be the largest armed Coast Guard cutter in the world. It measures 165 meters long and 22 meters wide—about 65 meters longer than an average football field—weighing 12,000 tons.