The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) confronted a Chinese research vessel that has been allegedly surveying the West Philippine Sea (WPS) for 22 days already.

PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan ordered the deployment of an aircraft on Saturday, Aug. 2, to conduct a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight over the waters of Cagayan after the agency monitored Chinese research vessel “Xiang Yang Hong 05” approximately 37 nautical miles off the coast of Santa Ana town.

During the MDA flight, the PCG said the research vessel was physically sighted at a distance of 14.92 nautical miles from Babuyan Island.

“The vessel was challenged by the PCG aircraft but did not respond,” PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a statement Sunday, Aug. 3.

According to PCG, the research vessel departed from Guangdong province, China on June 5 en route to WPS. It entered the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on June 7, approximately 130 nautical miles from Burgos, Ilocos Norte. It left on June 9 but re-entered the EEZ last July 31.

“Based on its historical track, the Xiang Yang Hong 05 conducted substantial marine scientific research for almost 22 days after departing the Philippine EEZ and before re-entering,” Tarriela said.

“This research occurred along a parallel track in the Pacific Ocean, close to Guam at a distance of 42 nautical miles,” he added.

The research vessel was last monitored 86 nautical miles from Calayan Island, Cagayan on Saturday morning.

The PCG said the research vessel was a relatively new addition to China’s fleet of research vessels illegally operating in the WPS as it did not secure a permit from the Philippine government before conducting maritime research within the country’s waters.

It said the Xiang Yang Hong series has been associated with supporting the People’s Liberation Army-Navy (PLA-N) operations, dating back to the original vessels that participated in distant-water research and ballistic missile trials during the 1970s and 1980s.

AFP: Boat-towing video part of malign influence ops

Meanwhile, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the video released by the Chinese government showing its coast guard and navy personnel towing Philippine boats in the WPS was meant to deceive the Filipinos.

The video released by Chinese media Global Times showed Chinese Coast Guard personnel confronting Filipino soldiers during a resupply mission. Citing China Bugle, a media account affiliated with the PLA news media center, the Global Times claimed China Coast Guard personnel blocked Philippine resupply boats from “infringing” Ayungin Shoal and towed the resupply boats “in just six minutes.”

The PCG earlier dismissed the video as old footage from the violent June 17, 2024 resupply mission.

“These efforts are all part of malign influence, but this time not for external audience but for their internal audience to build up, to drive up their sense of patriotism and nationalism,” AFP spokesperson for WPS Rear Adm. Roy Vincent Trinidad told the Manila Bulletin.

“That was an old video clip, luma po iyon. Last year pa during the RORE [rotation and resupply mission] in Ayungin Shoal. Sa ating mga kababayan, huwag niyo pong paniwalaan itong malign influence o fake news kung tawagin (To our fellow Filipinos, do not believe this malign influence or what is commonly called fake news),” he added.

The AFP called out recent attempts to mislead the public by falsely labeling old or recycled footage as a “new” incident in Ayungin Shoal. It said the deceptive tactic was not only irresponsible but also an attempt to “manipulate public perception, distort the truth, and weaken our shared resolve in asserting the nation’s sovereign rights and jurisdiction.”