China ‘monster ship’ conducts another ‘intrusive patrol’

MANILA, Philippines —  China’s biggest coast guard ship was again seen intruding in the vicinity of Ayungin Shoal yesterday, just a day after the Philippines and China agreed to deescalate tensions in the West Philippine Sea (WPS) through a Bilateral Consultation Mechanism (BCM) meeting in Manila.

The 165-meter-long vessel with bow number 5901, dubbed “The Monster,” joined a smaller China Coast Guard (CCG) boat with bow number 5203 at Ayungin Shoal, former US Air Force official and former defense attaché Ray Powell said in a post on X.

Powell, who has been monitoring ship movements in the South China Sea and the WPS, first sighted China’s biggest coast guard vessel in Philippine waters in late May in the vicinity of Panatag Shoal off Zambales.

It was again seen on June 24 in the Ayungin Shoal area just days after the June 17 rotation and resupply (RORE) mission to the BRP Sierra Madre where the CCG forcibly blocked Philippine boats and severely injured a Filipino soldier in a ramming incident during the confrontation that saw Chinese personnel arming themselves with knives, bolos and axes.

The Philippine Navy has yet to confirm Powell’s report, though the military has repeatedly assured the public that it is monitoring all vessels entering and passing through the country’s territorial waters and its exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

At a press briefing on Tuesday, Philippine Navy spokesman for the WPS Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad said radio challenges are issued to any ship that transits through the maritime waters of the country.

“We check their course, their speed, their name, where they come from, where they’re heading to, which is part of an established practice of navies and coast guards and merchant vessels all over the world,” he told reporters.

“Some of them reply, some of them do not. But I would like to emphasize these are not only Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy ships that we challenge. All ships to include commercial vessels that transit through our sea lanes…are regularly challenged. On a given day, we challenge hundreds of them, all over the country,” Trinidad said.

In an interview yesterday, Senate Majority Leader Francis Tolentino disclosed that he urgently wants the Maritime Zones law to be passed amidst the tension arising at WPS.

“The Maritime Zones law that I authored needs to be signed,” Tolentino said.

When asked to elaborate, he said: “It’s hard to understand but in a simple word, we will make our own map of our country.”

Hypersonic

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it is taking steps to verify the information bared by Senator Imee Marcos that China intends to send “hypersonic missiles” to 25 sites in the Philippines.

The military said it will seek more information about the matter in connection with Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) sites and the WPS scenario.

“The AFP takes such concerns seriously,” AFP spokesperson Col. Francel Margareth Padilla told reporters yesterday.

“We are ready to coordinate with Senator Marcos to obtain details and take appropriate actions to ensure our nation’s security,” she added.

On Tuesday, the AFP was also asked about Russia’s reported plan to redeploy missiles because the United States brought missiles to Philippines.

“This is not a matter for the AFP to comment on, we defer this to our higher agencies,” Padilla said, giving a similar response when asked about missiles brought into the country during this year’s Balikatan exercises.

However, the National Security Council said it does not see any “imminent attack” from China as claimed by Marcos, considering how the Philippines and China have recently agreed to lessen tensions in the WPS.

Fishing boats

The government has allocated at least P600 million to distribute 66 62-foot fishing boats to fisherfolk, including 15 in the WPS, in an effort to boost the country’s fisheries production despite tensions between the Philippines and China.

BFAR spokesman Nazario Briguera said the distribution will help achieve the target of increasing fisheries production by 10 percent in 2024.

“This is part of the  government’s program to strengthen the capacity of municipal fisherfolk, to improve their productivity through the distribution of 62 fiberglass boats. These are big boats so they can operate even beyond the municipal waters. We expect their fish catch to improve,” Briguera said.

Briguera added that aside from 62-foot fiberglass boats, smaller boats and various livelihood interventions will be given to various fisherfolk associations.

He said at least three fisherfolk associations per region will receive a 62-foot fiberglass boat, each costing at least P6.4 million.–  Michele Zoleta. Bella Cariaso, Pia Lee-Brago