PH foils China’s illegal marine scientific activity off Ilocos Norte

Philippine Coast Guard Spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela holds a press briefing on Tuesday in Manila. Noy Morcoso/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has driven away a Chinese research vessel spotted off Ilocos Norte on May 1 out of the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), Commodore Jay Tarriela, said the deployment of BRP Teresa Magbanua and the agency’s aircraft helped prevent Chinese Research Vessel (CRV) Tan Suo 3 from further conducting illegal marine scientific activity within the Philippine EEZ.

“As we speak right now, the Chinese research vessel is already at 250 nautical miles off the coast of Burgos, Ilocos,” Tarriela said in a press briefing on Tuesday.

READ: PCG deploys aircraft to check Chinese research ship in PH waters

“Meaning to say, that deployment of BRP Teresa Magbanua and our Coast Guard vessel is successful in preventing the Chinese government from doing marine scientific research and whatever research they are conducting in our exclusive economic zone,” he added.

Earlier, Tarriela reported that PCG dispatched its assets to challenge the Chinese research vessel and escort it out of the Philippine EEZ.

He also revealed that the ship entered the country’s boundary on May 1. At the time, it was monitored 92 nautical miles off the coast of Burgos.

Moreover, Tarriela reported spotting a manned deep-sea submersible vessel, Shenhai Yongshi or Deep-Sea Warrior, fast approaching the Chinese research ship, which was later retrieved by its crew.

Philippine Coast Guard Takes Action Against Chinese Research Vessel Off the Coast of Ilocos Norte

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) has deployed BRP Teresa Magbanua and a PCG aircraft to monitor, challenge, and escort the Chinese Research Vessel (CRV) Tan Suo 3 out of the… pic.twitter.com/0u5XtTqVeZ

— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) May 5, 2025

Tarriela also disclosed that the research ship’s crew retrieved a yellow-colored unidentified piece of equipment associated with China’s marine scientific research activities.

“These actions of the CRV serve as clear evidence that the People’s Republic of China is conducting illegal marine scientific research activities within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone, lacking the legal authority to undertake such activities in this area,” Tarriela said in a statement on Monday.

According to Tarriela, the PCG has monitored seven Chinese research vessels that entered the country’s EEZ since 2023.

Beijing’s continued aggression was based on its assertion of sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea, including most of the West Philippine Sea. It continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that effectively dismissed its claims and ruled in favor of Manila.