PCG continues to drive away China Coast Guard vessels in WPS

The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it continues to drive away China Coast Guard (CCG) vessels off the waters of the West Philippine Sea amid the ongoing tensions between Manila and Beijing.

The PCG said its BRP Cabra patrol ship was able to push away the CCG-3304 to an approximate distance of 101.44 nautical miles off Bani, Pangasinan after it was first spotted on Wednesday approaching 43 nautical miles off the coast of Bolinao.

However, the PCG noted on Thursday that another CCG vessel with bow number 3103 arrived in the vicinity, seemingly taking the place of CCG-3304, which had departed towards the Bajo de Masinloc area.

BRP Cabra issued a radio challenge on the Chinese vessel.

“Undeterred, the 44-meter PCG vessel BRP Cabra challenged the larger 77-meter CCG vessel, asserting its presence within the Philippine Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and highlighting that the CCG's illegal patrols are in violation of the Philippine Maritime Zones Act, the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), and the 2016 Arbitral Award,” the PCG said. 

The PCG said it is committed to prevent the “normalization of illegal Chinese activities and to document the CCG's escalating actions in the Philippines' WPS.” 

Beijing’s claims in the South China Sea also overlaps with those of Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

The Philippines refers to parts of the waters within its exclusive economic zone as the West Philippine Sea.

The Philippines has filed nearly 200 diplomatic protests against China since the start of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration. —RF, GMA Integrated News