PCG issues radio challenges vs China Coast Guard near Zambales

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) on Friday issued radio challenges against China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels seen off the coast of Zambales in the West Philippine Sea in the country's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The PCG said its vessel BRP Cabra "successfully prevented China Coast Guard 3103 from getting closer to the coast of Zambales."

"The Philippine Coast Guard was able to push it away to a distance of 85-90 nautical miles from the coastline," it added.

However, at 1 p.m. on Friday, CCG 3103 was replaced by CCG 3304, a larger vessel, which the PCG suspected has the intention of outmaneuvering the BRP Cabra "due to its size and speed."

"The CCG-3304 measures an overall length of 111 meters and a width of 46 meters, making it significantly larger than its predecessor," the PCG said.

Despite the CCG 3304's size, however, the BRP Cabra issued hourly radio challenges to notify the vessel that it was illegally within the Philippines' EEZ.

"The unwavering commitment of the BRP Cabra underscores the Philippine Coast Guard's dedication to its patriotic duty of protecting the nation's maritime rights in the West Philippine Sea," the PCG said.

West Philippine Sea is the name the Philippines uses to refer to portions of the South China Sea that fall within its EEZ and its jurisdiction.

China however claims "indisputable sovereignty" over the entire waters of the South China Sea, where undersea gas deposits have been discovered in several areas. Its claims overlap with the offshore territories claimed by Asian neighbors surrounding the South China Sea.

In 2016, the Philippines scored a victory  against China in a landmark ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The PCA ruled that "there was no legal basis for China to claim historic rights to resources within the sea areas falling within the nine-dash line."

"[Although] two Chinese navigators and fishermen, as well as those of other States, had historically made use of the islands in the South China Sea, there was no evidence that China had historically exercised exclusive control over the waters or  their  resources," it added.

China has repeatedly said the PCA ruling is "illegal" and "invalid".

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. stood his ground that the West Philippine Sea (WPS) belongs to the Filipinos amid China's aggressions in the resource-rich region. —KG, GMA Integrated News