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PCG pushes China Coast Guard vessel farther away from Zambales coastline
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said it has pushed a China Coast Guard (CCG) vessel farther away from the Zambales coastline on Saturday morning.
"Despite rough sea conditions with waves of 2–3 meters, BRP Cape San Agustin (MRRV-4408) skillfully maneuvered and successfully pushed the distance of Chinese Coast Guard vessel CCG-3303 further to approximately 135 nautical miles off the Zambales coastline," PCG spokesperson for West Philippine Sea (WPS) Commodore Jay Tarriela said in a post on X.
Philippine Coast Guard Maintains Uninterrupted Presence in Bajo De Masinloc with Deployment of BRP Cape San Agustin
— Jay Tarriela (@jaytaryela) December 6, 2025
The Philippine Coast Guard has seamlessly continued its maritime patrol operations off Zambales with the deployment of the 44-meter multi-role response vessel BRP… https://t.co/xBNmD2ylMX pic.twitter.com/LtqfNcncdY
Tarriela shared a video of a crew member of the 44-meter multi-role response vessel BRP Cape San Agustin issuing a radio challenge to CCG-3303.
Two other CCG vessels, CCG-3305 and CCG-3502, are being monitored by BRP Cape San Agustin, he said.
The two vessels are being "monitored on the vessel’s radar as they loiter and conduct unlawful patrols in the immediate vicinity of Bajo de Masinloc," Tarriela said.
BRP Cape San Agustin took over BRP Cabra after the latter returned to port.
"The Philippine Coast Guard remains steadfast in asserting the Philippines’ sovereignty, sovereign rights, and jurisdiction over the West Philippine Sea, in full accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Philippine Maritime Zones Act, and the final and binding 2016 Arbitral Award," Tarriela saiid.
"The PCG Commandant, Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan, emphasized that, despite operating with limited assets and facing rough seas that endanger the safety of its personnel, the men and women of the Philippine Coast Guard will remain resolute and will never back down in defending the nation’s maritime interests—fully aligned with the firm directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.," he added.
Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal, a triangular coral reef formation which surrounds a lagoon, is famed for its rich waters and marine resources.
It is located 124 nautical miles off Masinloc, Zambales, and is considered within the Philippines’ 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, based on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
China however claims indisputable sovereignty over the Scarborough Shoal and its adjacent waters.
National Security Adviser Secretary Eduardo Año on the other hand has stressed that China's repeated claims over Scarborough Shoal have no basis in international law. —KG, GMA Integrated News
