PCG, BFAR spots Chinese warship among vessels in Bajo de Masinloc

The Philippine Coast Guard said on Monday that it spotted Chinese vessels, including a warship, during a maritime domain awareness (MDA) flight near Bajo de Masinloc.  

PCG spokesperson Commodore Jay Tarriela said they observed the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) warship twice in as many flights. 

“At 9:42 in the morning, we also saw PLA Navy warship 574 at a distance of 27 nautical miles southeast of Bajo de Masinloc. At 11:07, the BFAR aircraft landed back in Subic Airport. But at 12:28, it took off for its second sortie,” said Tarriela in a virtual presser.

“At 13:23 in the morning, the BFAR aircraft arrived at the territorial airspace of the Bajo de Masinloc at a distance of 2.7 nautical miles. From there, we documented the presence of two Chinese maritime…We also documented the presence of one Chinese maritime militia at a distance of 2.15 nautical miles southeast of BDM; another Chinese maritime militia at 8.69 nautical miles southeast of BDM,” he added. 

“We also once again saw the PLA Navy Warship 574 at a distance of 25 nautical miles away from Bajo de Masinloc, together with the five other China Coast Guard vessels 5205, 5201, 5303, 3301, and 5203.” 

During the MDA, the PCG said they also spotted a helicopter that took off from the Chinese warship. 

“For the MDA flight, na-monitor lang natin is yung deployment ng PLA Naval air force helicopter. We were not able to see the tail number. Surprisingly, it didn’t come close. It maintained a distance of three miles away from the position of the BFAR aircraft,” said Tarriela. 

The disputed Bajo de Masinloc, also known as Scarborough Shoal or Panatag Shoal, is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales.

It is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ), based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). 

Tensions continue as Beijing claims almost all of the South China Sea, a conduit for more than $3 trillion of annual shipborne commerce, including parts claimed by the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei.

In 2016, an international arbitration tribunal in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines over China's claims in the South China Sea, saying that it had "no legal basis." Beijing has refused to recognize the decision. —RF, GMA Integrated News