Navy increases frequency of patrol in Escoda Shoal
The Philippine Navy (PN) has stepped up its maritime patrol operation in Escoda (Sabina) Shoal to ensure that no reclamation activity will be done by foreign vessels.
Commodore Roy Vincent Trinidad, PN spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS), said the Navy has sent a warship to Escoda Shoal and synchronized its patrol with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) following the discovery of dumping of dead and crushed corals in the sandbars of the atoll last month.
"We were able to monitor the unnatural, unusual presence of crushed corals that brought an elevation of Sabina or Escoda Shoal and this was reported by the Philippine Coast Guard. Because of that, the Philippine Navy and the Philippine Coast Guard synchronized their actions on that part of the West Philippine Sea," Trinidad said on Tuesday, May 14.
"The Coast Guard has a regular presence there, the Navy has increased its patrols in Sabina Shoal and for the past good number of days we have had one warship stationed in the area. This is to ensure that whoever is doing that, we are not sure who is doing that, whoever is piling up their corals on Sabina shoal, we will be able to expose their activities," he added.
The PCG earlier accused China of dumping dead and crushed corals in Escoda Shoal, which it said was a similar activity done in Sandy Cay near Pag-asa (Thitu) Island last year.
The activity is regarded by authorities as a sign of human intervention by Chinese vessels to build an artificial island on these features, which are located within the 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone of the Philippines.
The Chinese Embassy in Manila, however, denied doing reclamation works in Escoda Shoal.
Trinidad said despite the denial, the Navy remains alert to prevent any build up on Escoda Shoal, which is reminiscient of the reclamation and militarization done on Panganiban (Mischief) Reef in mid-2010s.
"We will not allow that of course because it is well within the sovereign rights and sovereignty of the Philippines," he added.
Meanwhile, the Navy has monitored a downward trend in the number of Chinese vessels in the WPS following the conclusion of the Balikatan Exercise between the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and United States Armed Forces.
Prior to the start of Balikatan on April 22, Trinidad said the Navy has recorded 129 Chinese vessels in the WPS. It went down to 108 vessels during the exercise proper, and as of May 13, five days after the drills were concluded on May 8, there were 98 Chinese vessels in WPS.