The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said one of its ships challenged a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel that is more than double its size after the latter attempted to get close to the coast of Zambales on Saturday, April 5.

Commodore Jay Tarriela, PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS), said a CCG vessel with bow number “3302” was detected approaching within 83 to 85 nautical miles off the coast of Palauig town.

He said the 44-meter BRP Cabra confronted the much larger 99-meter CCG-3302 “to prevent it from moving closer to the coast.”

BRP Cabra then fired off a radio challenge towards the Chinese ship, emphasizing that its “illegal patrol” off Palauig violates the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 arbitral award.

The PCG has been maintaining a steady presence in the waters of Zambales to drive away Chinese vessels that have been lurking there since January.

“The PCG remains resolute in its patriotic duty to patrol the Exclusive Economic Zone, aiming to prevent the normalization of illegal Chinese activities while documenting the CCG's illegal patrols in the Philippines' West Philippine Sea,” Tarriela said.