A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship allegedly used a long-range acoustic device (LRAD) or sound cannon to shoo away a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel off the coast of Zambales on Saturday, Jan. 25.
Commo. Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for the West Philippine Sea (WPS), said BRP successfully drove CCG ship “3304” farther away from the coast of Zambales to a position of 90 to 95 nautical miles from the shore.
However, CCG-3304 was immediately replaced by another Chinese ship, CCG-3103, which, for the first time, employed an LRAD to “harass” BRP Cabra and “deter proximity.” Further, Tarriela surmised that CCG-3103 appears to be escorted by China’s “monster” ship, CCG-5901.
According to Tarriela, the LRAD has been described by crew members as “producing high decibel levels that can be painful and damaging to hearing.”
“[I]t is clear that the Chinese Communist Party is disregarding international law while arrogantly asserting jurisdiction over these waters, which are well beyond the People's Republic of China's baseline,” Tarriela said on Sunday, Jan. 26.
“Without needing to emphasize the key points of the 2016 Arbitral Award, which invalidated their nine-dash line claim, it’s evident that anyone with a sound mind, genuinely concerned about preserving peace and stability in the region, would acknowledge that their presence in the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone is both barbaric and illegitimate,” he added.
A clip posted by Tarriela on his X account showed CCG-3103 issuing a radio challenge to BRP Cabra and warning that it will take necessary measures to drive away the PCG vessel, with the Filipino crew having to bear the consequences of any incident.
Tarriela said this indicates China’s desire to “impose a new order that undermines the rules-based international system.”
“They appear intent on reverting to a system where might dictates what is deemed right, allowing powerful countries to impose their interests at the expense of others' rights and jurisdictions,” he said.
Despite of what happened, TArriela said the BRP Cabra remains committed to its mission of preventing the Chinese vessels from getting closer to the coast of Zambales.
“The Philippine Coast Guard continues to uphold its mandate of safeguarding the nation's maritime jurisdiction while striving to avoid provocation and escalation,” he said.