Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship BRP Cabra (MRRV-4409) defended the coast of Zambales from the intrusion of a Chinese vessel, a ranking officer said on Thursday night, Jan. 23.
BRP Cabra took over from BRP Suluan (MRRV-4406) in patrolling the coast of Zambales to ward off the continued illegal presence of China Coast Guard (CCG) ship “3103”, said PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela.
“The strategic maneuvering of BRP Cabra has effectively kept CCG-3103 from getting closer to the coastline of Zambales,” Tarriela said.
The BRP Cabra pushed away CCG-3103 farther from Zambales’ coast, from its previous location of 76 nautical miles from Pundaquit town to 80 to 90 nautical miles.
“Additionally, the crew of BRP Cabra has consistently conducted hourly radio challenges to remind the CCG crew of China’s blatant violations of international law,” Tarriela said.
It has been 20 days since the CCG deployed Chinese vessels to the coast of Zambales.
The National Security Council (NSC) earlier called on China to withdraw its ships from the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of the Philippines.
However, the Chinese Foreign Ministry defended the presence of the CCG vessels in the area, claiming that Beijing’s rights and interests in the South China Sea “were established in the long course of history, and are solidly grounded in history and the law and compliant with the international law and practice.”
A 2016 arbitral ruling proved otherwise as it debunked China’s dash-line claims in the South China Sea, including those within the Philippines’ EEZ.