PCG pushes Chinese vessel further away from Zambales
Philippine Coast Guard Commodore Jay Tarriela, spokesperson for West Philippine Sea.
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel patrolling off Zambales has pushed the Chinese ship, unlawfully operating in the area, further away from the province’s coast.
Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea, said BRP Teresa Magbanua’s efforts bore fruit with Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel 3304 now at 100 to 105 nautical miles (nm) from the province.
BRP Teresa Magbanua Successfully Pushes Chinese Coast Guard Vessel Further from Zambales
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel, BRP Teresa Magbanua, has achieved a significant milestone by successfully pushing the Chinese Coast Guard (CCG) vessel CCG-3304 further away from the… pic.twitter.com/hDbwNzrDaX
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) January 30, 2025
However, the PCG noted the presence of three other CCG vessels off Zambales.
“CCG-5901 (monster ship) is currently approximately 103.63 nautical miles away, CCG-3502 is at around 115.22 nautical miles, and CCG-3103 is positioned approximately 134.10 nautical miles from the coast of Zambales,” it reported.
On Wednesday night, Tarriela said BRP Teresa Magbanua issued an hourly radio challenge against the CCG vessel 3304 to assert its illegal operation in the area. At that time, the latter was spotted about 85 to 90 nautical miles (nm) from Zambales.
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The agency continues to emphasize that the Chinese vessel “lacks legal authority and is violating the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, and the 2016 arbitral award.”
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, as it continues to reject the 2016 arbitral ruling that effectively dismissed its claims and ruled in favor of Manila.
