MANILA, Philippines — A China Coast Guard (CCG) ship has been monitored shadowing a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) ship near Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal as well as following Philippine ships supposedly patrolling the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), a maritime security expert said yesterday.
Retired US Air Force Col. Ray Powell, director of SeaLight, a maritime transparency project that monitors and reports activities in the South China Sea, reported that the CCG vessel tailed the PCG ship BRP Gabriela Silang patrolling 50 to 75 nautical miles off Panatag Shoal, also known as Bajo de Masinloc.
“Scarborough Shoal: #Philippines Coast Guard vessel BRP Gabriela Silang patrols 50-75nm NE of the shoal, shadowed by #China Coast Guard 3302, while CCG 3305 guards the shoal entrance. Meanwhile, six Qiong Sansha Yu militia ships arriving shortly from Mischief Reef,” Powell posted on X, referring to Panganiban Reef by its international name.
He added that Chinese vessels returned to the West Philippine Sea after they fled Panatag Shoal last week due to Tropical Storm Enteng.
Six of China’s Qiong Sansha Yu maritime militia ships and one CCG vessel were en route from Panganiban Reef to Panatag Shoal last Sunday.
In another X post yesterday, Powell said a Chinese “flotilla” “formed yesterday north of Reed (Recto) Bank at the edge of the Philippines’ EEZ.”
“I don’t know what it’s up to, but the last time I saw a formation like it – a (Chinese) research ship screened by (Chinese) militia & following a non-standard survey pattern in the South China Sea – it spent an entire month drawing the Mandarin character for ‘China’ off Vietnam’s southern coast in May 2023,” he added.
He used the emoji for China’s flag in referring to the Chinese vessels.
PCG Commodore Jay Tarriela, the agency’s spokesman in the National Task Force on the West Philippine Sea, has yet to issue a statement on Powell’s observations.
China claimed Panatag Shoal, said to be abundant in fish and other marine resources, after a standoff in 2012.
The incident prompted the Philippines to file an arbitration case at the Permanent Court of Arbitration, where the country won in asserting its sovereign rights in the West Philippine Sea through the exclusive economic zone in 2016.
The 2016 arbitral ruling also invalidated China’s so-called nine-dash line claim over the entire South China Sea.
Essential platform
Meanwhile, the Philippines has reaffirmed its dedication to the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) as an essential platform for addressing regional challenges, enhancing cooperation.
During the Leaders’ Dialogue with Partners at the 53rd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting held recently, Charles Jose, special envoy of the President and undersecretary for multilateral affairs and international economic relations of the Department of Foreign Affairs, underscored the Philippines’ steadfast support for the PIF and its member-states.
Jose highlighted the nation’s commitment to advancing both their individual and collective goals.
“The Philippines understands the Pacific because we are Pacific. As President Marcos said, we carry the cultural heritage of our seafaring ancestors in our very DNA. We see our future in our identity not only as Asians, but also as part of this Blue Continent,” he said.
The envoy noted that the Philippines is actively engaged in supporting Pacific island countries’ efforts to build resilience against natural disasters and to assert their sovereignty in a rapidly evolving global landscape.
He emphasized that these efforts are part of the Philippines’ broader commitment to regional stability and development.