BRP Cabra shadows Chinese Coast Guard vessel amid rough seas

MANILA, Philippines — Despite challenging maritime conditions, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel BRP Cabra has continued shadowing a Chinese coast guard ship near Zambales.

In a statement on Saturday, March 8, the PCG said the 44-meter BRP Cabra maintained its position parallel to China’s Coast Guard Vessel 3105, 95 nautical miles off Zambales, preventing its approach to the coastline.

According to the PCG, the vessel operated amid “adverse sea conditions,” with waves reaching three to five meters in height.

PCG Commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan reiterated that PCG vessels remain deployed in the West Philippine Sea to “prevent China from altering the status quo and normalizing its unlawful presence within the Philippines’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).”

A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) invalidated China's sweeping nine-dash line claim to the South China Sea.

However, Beijing has refused to recognize the ruling and has continued expanding its presence, conducting island-building activities, and sending coast guard vessels to the West Philippine Sea, leading to frequent confrontations with the PCG and other Philippine vessels.