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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Estrada urges gov't to probe alleged Chinese blockade near Sandy Cay

Estrada urges gov't to probe alleged Chinese blockade near Sandy Cay

Published Aug 8, 2025 01:29 pm

At A Glance

  • Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said reports that a BFAR vessel was blocked by Chinese maritime militia ships near Sandy Cay, a cluster of sandbars west of the island that is claimed by both the Philippines and China, is deeply concerning.


Senate President Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada condemned on Friday, August 8 another alleged attempt by Chinese maritime militia ships to block a Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) vessel saying the incident is another serious breach of the country’s sovereign rights.

Estrada made the remark after Ray Powell, a retired US Air Force colonel, and director of the SeaLight project at Stanford University’s Gordian Knot Center for National Security Innovation disclosed that the BRP Datu Romapenet, which was headed towards Sandy Cay, was forced to return to Pag-asa Island after it was blocked by at least three Chinese vessels in the area.

Sandy Cay is a cluster of sandbars west of the island that is claimed  by both the Philippines and China.

“Reports that a BFAR vessel, the BRP Datu Romapenet, en route to Sandy Cay in the West Philippine Sea for a fisheries mission, was blocked by Chinese maritime militia ships are deeply concerning,” Estrada said in a statement.

“I urge the concerned agencies to validate this information, as the incident—if verified—would constitute a serious breach of our sovereign rights and harassment of a Philippine-flagged vessel conducting a legitimate monitoring mission within our own maritime domain,” he said.

Estrada lamented that the Philippines has already witnessed and experienced countless incidents like this over the years

“We could no longer count the many times our civilian and government maritime personnel have experienced from foreign entities that continue to persist in forcing us out of our own waters,”

“We must not allow this disregard for our rights and endangerment of our fellow citizens to become normal,” he said.

Once proven true, he said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should file a diplomatic protest, demand accountability from the Chinese government, and assert Philippine’s rights under international law.

“Our kababayans (people) deserve nothing less than a government that firmly stands its ground in asserting our sovereignty and defending our nation’s interest,” he said.

Related Tags

Jinggoy Estrada Sandy Cay West Philippine Sea China
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