Another coast guard vessel was deployed by China to the coast of Zambales to replace its “monster” ship as the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) marked the 16th day of the Asian superpower’s “illegal deployment” of its vessels to the Philippine waters on Monday, Jan. 20.
“Today marks the 16th day of the China Coast Guard's illegal deployment of its vessel off the coast of Zambales. Throughout this period, the brave men and women of the [Philippine Coast Guard] have faced heavy waves and tirelessly turned night into day, consistently challenging these unlawful activities of the People's Republic of China (PRC) without any sign of backing down,” said Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea.
The monster ship, China Coast Guard (CCG)-5901, was first detected by the PCG at 54 nautical miles off the coast of Capones Island in Zambales on Jan. 4.
As of 9 p.m. of Jan. 19, CCG-5901 moved away from the coast of Zambales as it was monitored at an approximate distance of 95 nautical miles.
However, CCG-3304, a 111-meter-by-46-meter patrol cutter by China, approached the coast of Zambales and came as close as 65 nautical miles.
Tarriela said that BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) conducted hourly radio challenges to remind the Chinese crew that their operations within the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) breach the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to which both Manila and Beijing are signatories, and “blatantly violate” the 2016 Arbitral Award that nullified China’s dash line claim in the South China Sea.
He praised the bravery of the crew of BRP Gabriela Silang, highlighting that the CCG-3304 is still bigger than the PCG ship, which measures 83 meters, but her crew “continues to diligently fulfill its patriotic mission of challenging the unlawful presence of the Chinese Coast Guard.”
“This vigilance in confronting the Chinese illegal patrols is crucial for our national security, as it prevents China from normalizing such unlawful actions. If we fail to challenge this, China will succeed in establishing a precedent for its maritime forces' illegal patrols in the future,” Tarriela said.